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Anti-Crime Programs for the Elderly - A Guide to Planning

NCJ Number
84661
Author(s)
L J Center
Date Published
1979
Length
236 pages
Annotation
The second volume in a three-part series, this manual provides advice on planning a community project to attack the problem of crime against the elderly, with attention to collecting and analyzing data, formulating goals, funding, and staffing.
Abstract
An introduction discusses fear of crime among the elderly, actual statistics on victimization, and the impact of crime on elderly victims. The National Elderly Vicitimization Prevention and Assistance Program (NEVPA) which consisted of seven demonstration projects is described briefly, since it was the primary source of information for the series. The initial step in planning an anticrime project is analyzing the problem. To facilitate this process, the manual outlines methods of collecting and assessing information on the following topics: characteristics of the elderly in the community, patterns of elderly victimization, and the nature of community resources available to the elderly. Specific survey techniques are examined. The next section focuses on program planning and development, categorized as setting priorities, establishing goals, and formulating strategies. The mechanics of an anticrime project are then addressed, beginning with gathering data for evaluation purposes. Funding sources and budget planning are reviewed. These discussions note that a project must develop good relations with law enforcement agencies in the early planning stages to be effective. Evaluations of the NEVPA demonstration projects revealed that the quality of the director and staff were often critical to success. Based on these experiences, suggestions on staffing a project cover organizational structure, recruitment, qualifications, training, and supervision. Footnotes are included. The appendixes contain sample questionnaires used to determine victimization rates, a victimization impact questionnaire, and data collection instruments developed by a Milwaukee project. For other volumes, see NCJ 84645.