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NEW YORK'S EXPERIMENT IN TENANT SAFETY

NCJ Number
45204
Author(s)
S GRANVILLE
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE VOLUNTEER TENANT PATROL PROGRAM SERVING NEW YORK CITY'S PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS IS DESCRIBED, AND THE PROGRAM'S IMPACT ON CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND INTERIOR VANDALISM IN THE PROJECTS IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
MORE THAN 12,000 TENANT VOLUNTEERS ARE INVOLVED IN APPROXIMATELY 120 PATROLS OPERATING IN EVERY BOROUGH OF THE CITY. THE PRESENCE OF THE PATROLS HAS FURNISHED A MEASURE OF REASSURANCE TO RESIDENTS, HAS IN SOME CASES REDUCED CRIME AND VANDALISM, AND HAS GREATLY ENHANCED PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSIBILITY AMONG MANY TENANTS. A CENTRAL TENANT PATROL UNIT AIDS IN THE FORMATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PATROLS IN THE VARIOUS HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. EACH DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYS ONE OR TWO TENANTS AS PART-TIME TENANT PATROL SUPERVISORS. THE SUPERVISORS COORDINATE AND SCHEDULE THE EFFORTS OF THE VOLUNTEER PATROL TEAMS. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY THE TENANT PATROL PROJECT ARE REVIEWED, INCLUDING LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN SOME DEVELOPMENTS AND OUTRIGHT OPPOSITION IN OTHERS. IT IS NOTED THAT CLOSE COOPERATION WITH POLICE, PRIMARILY THROUGH THE CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY'S OWN FORCE, HAS HELPED TO CURB ANY IMPULSE TOWARD THE VIGILANTE SPIRIT AMONG TENANT PATROLS. ONE UNFORESEEN ASPECT OF THE TENANT PATROL HAS BEEN THE EXTENSIVE PARTICIPATION BY SENIOR CITIZENS. THE CITY'S EXPERIMENTS WITH THE CONCEPT OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE AND WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE AND SENSING EQUIPMENT ARE ALSO NOTED.