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CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY IN PUBLIC HOUSING - POLICY ALTERNATIVES

NCJ Number
42303
Author(s)
E S NEWMAN; A NELSON; D VANBUREN
Date Published
1975
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THIS MONOGRAPH DISCUSSES THE IMPLICATIONS OF AGE-SEGREGATED HOUSING WITH RESPECT TO INCIDENCE OF CRIME AND FEARS ABOUT CRIME AMONG THE ELDERLY.
Abstract
IT IS BASED ON A SURVEY OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN THREE TYPES OF PUBLIC HOUSING ARRANGEMENTS IN THE ALBANY-TROY, NEW YORK AREA: AGE-INTEGRATED, AGE-SEGREGATED, AND AGE-SEGREGATED UNITS WITHIN AN AGE-INTEGRATED PROJECT. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECTS OF THESE THREE DIFFERENT LIVING ARRANGEMENTS ON THE NUMBERS AND KINDS OF CRIMES INVOLVING ELDERLY VICTIMS, TO DETERMINE THE FEARS AND ATTITUDES OF THE RESIDENTS CONCERNING THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY, AND TO ASSESS PAST AND PRESENT ATTEMPTS TO ENSURE THEIR SAFETY. THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY SUPPORTED THE VALUE OF A POLICY OF ENCOURAGING AGE-SEGREGATED PUBLIC HOUSING FOR THE AGED AS A MEANS OF REDUCING THE INCIDENCE AND FEAR OF CRIME AMONG THIS VULNERABLE SECTOR OF THE POPULATION. BASED ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION OF THESE FINDINGS WITH A PANEL OF PUBLIC LEADERS AND EXPERTS IN THE FIELDS OF AGING, PUBLIC HOUSING, CRIME VICTIMIZATION, AMD LEGISLATIVE POLICY, THE AUTHORS CONCLUDE WITH A SERIES OF POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS PERTAINING TO AGE-SEGREGATED ARRANGEMENTS, IMPROVEMENT IN SECURITY PERSONNEL, INSTRUCTION IN SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR TENANTS, AND INCREASED USAGE OF ELECTRONIC SAFETY DEVICES. A COPY OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE IS APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...ELW