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AmeriCorps: An Important Resource for Police Executives

NCJ Number
174854
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 63 Issue: 5 Dated: May 1996 Pages: 59-62
Author(s)
H Wofford
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the role of AmeriCorps in community efforts to deal with problems of crime, violence and fear.
Abstract
AmeriCorps is designed to address critical unmet needs in four priority areas: public safety, education, the environment and human needs. AmeriCorps supports a number of community policing programs and works in partnership with leading police executives across the country. Efforts that provide a direct public-safety benefit include target hardening, conducting security surveys, removing gang graffiti, helping close crack houses, organizing neighborhood crime watch groups, providing victim assistance, supporting community-oriented problem solving, establishing safe havens and safe corridors, serving in mobile mini-stations and building new police-community linkages. In all cases, service activities must result in a specific identifiable service or improvement that would not otherwise be provided with existing funds or volunteers, and that does not duplicate the routine functions of workers or displace paid employees. The article includes a selected list of 1995-96 AmeriCorps public safety programs.