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BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS OF EXISTING CRIME PREVENTION PROJECTS AND CONSIDERATION OF A STATEWIDE OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION - A SPECIAL REPORT TO THE COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE - PROGRAM EVALUATION REPORT

NCJ Number
69256
Author(s)
P J RIOPELLE; T G EVERSEN
Date Published
1980
Length
21 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT COVERS THE BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS OF PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE WISCONSIN COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE (WCCJ) AND DISCUSSES WCCJ'S RECOMMENDATION FOR A STATEWIDE OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION.
Abstract
AN OVERVIEW OF BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS EXPLAINS SEVERAL VIEWPOINTS ON BENEFIT-COST AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS, ILLUSTRATES THE DIFFICULTIES IN DEFINING COSTS, AND DISCUSSES THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS. THE GOALS OF AND METHODS EMPLOYED BY 11 WCCJ-FUNDED CRIME PREVENTION PROJECTS ARE THEN REVIEWED. TABLES ILLUSTRATE THE PROJECTS' 1-YEAR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CRIME PREVENTION PROJECTS. FURTHER TABLES DEMONSTRATE ESTIMATED SAVINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REDUCED NUMBER OF PROJECT BURGLARIES AND THEFTS AND OTHER SAVINGS. A BENEFIT/COST MATRIX IS ALSO PRESENTED. DISCUSSION THEN TURNS TO IMPLEMENTATION ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE TO THE WCCJ CONCERNING ITS RECOMMENDATION THAT A STATEWIDE OFFICE OF CRIME PREVENTION BE ESTABLISHED. LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES TO BE TAKEN SHOULD THE LEAA BE ELIMINATED ARE SUGGESTED, SUCH AS REQUESTING THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO FURTHER STUDY AND REVIEW THE WCCJ RECOMMENDATION. APPENDIXES APPROXIMATE PUBLIC REVENUE LOSSES FOR THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND PRESENT THE WCCJ RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CRIME PREVENTION OFFICE. FOOTNOTES ARE ALSO INCLUDED.