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Star Program - An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Attorney General's Office Program Known as 'Help Stop Crime'

NCJ Number
90371
Author(s)
L J Severy; J Scheppler; B Reaves; J Hallam; R Spivak
Date Published
1982
Length
103 pages
Annotation
Results are reported from an assessment of the effectiveness of Florida's 'Help Stop Crime' crime prevention program, which included a citizens survey and a law enforcement survey to identify the levels of awareness of the program and perceived program strengths and weaknesses.
Abstract
The 'Help Stop Crime' (HSC) program had the purposes of (1) educating the public about the problem of crime and how to prevent it, (2) establishing a coordinated effort for statewide crime prevention programs and a central clearinghouse for the distribution of crime prevention materials, (3) providing training and education for persons to implement crime prevention programs, and (4) providing technical assistance to various community agencies in their efforts to deal with crime. The HSC materials deal with a wide range of crimes, including residential burglary, sexual assault, crimes against the elderly, commercial armed robbery, business burglary, and retail theft. Under conditions of aided recall, about 75 percent of those surveyed described HSC or were familiar with the program. Those who knew of the program believed that the procedures and precautions described by the program are effective. About 96.5 percent of the law enforcement officials surveyed were familiar with the program. They see the program as being effective in both reducing crime and educating citizens about crime prevention methods. Police officers' suggestions for improving the program are predominantly to expand the scope and resources. Survey questionnaires and responses are appended.