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National Neighborhood Mobilization Program to Prevent Crime

NCJ Number
163028
Date Published
1996
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This final report on the Salinas Police Department's (California) National Neighborhood Mobilization Program includes a description of the program, the problems addressed, its impact, the activities conducted in 1995, and a financial statement.
Abstract
The purpose of the program is to demonstrate the effectiveness of public and private partnerships among citizens, grassroots activists, educators, clergy, business persons, law enforcement, and other public and private service providers in helping to reduce crime, violence, and illicit drug use. Key program elements included the building or enhancing of local planning teams; the development of short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term strategies; community policing; and prevention education. In the final quarter of the project, which ended December 31, 1995, the Salinas Police Department (SPD) continued to work with the Police/Community Advisory Committee and build on prevention strategies already begun to involve citizens further in helping to make Salinas safer. SPD established a Community Task Force for the target area and used the new East Side Service Center as the hub of neighborhood operations. Community Resource Officers served as community mobilizers and worked out of the East Side Service Center, which was opened 40 hours a week. Four Community Service Aides staffed the Center to take nonemergency reports, thus freeing SPD to have a stronger police presence in the neighborhood. The Community Task Force, with the assistance of local marketing consultants, developed a pre-questionnaire and a post-questionnaire and surveyed the residents of the target area to establish and analyze their concerns and promoted an awareness of the resources available to them. An analysis of crime in the targeted area shows a decrease during the project period. The SPD will continue to fund the program after the grant terminates. Financial statements are included.