Transcript Youth-Based Programs

Neighborhood-Centered
Approaches
David L. Carter
Michigan State University
Program Sites
Corsicana’s Turn Around Texas
 Garland’s Apartment Managers’ Group
 Dallas’ SAFE Team
 Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 Waco’s Neighborhood Services Section
 Arlington’s Geographic Policing Model

Neighborhood-Centered
Approaches Foundation
 PREDOMINANT
 Disorder
 Public Nuisance
 Burglary
POLICING PROBLEMS
 CHARACTER OF THE PROBLEMS
 Represent a large number of calls for service
 Represents a disproportionately large source of…
+ Heightened fear of crime
+ General citizen complaints
+ Lower quality of life
Neighborhood-Centered
Approaches Foundation
 INTENT
OF CRIME-SPECIFIC POLICE
RESPONSES
 Arrest offenders
 Influence citizens to report crimes/problems
 Use citizens as information/intelligence resource
 Motivate citizens as partners to help monitor and
resolve problems
 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
 Greatest obstacle: Keeping citizens involved
 Key strategy: Blend community partnering with
tactical policing
Neighborhood-Centered
Approaches Foundation
 KEY FACTORS
 Communications between neighborhood residents
and police must increase
 Communications between residents must increase
 Residents must have a sense of ownership for the
entire neighborhood, not just their property
 Problems must be addressed on a neighborhood
basis, not on artificial boundaries
 Police must recognize that problems which may
seem minor are serious to residents
Corsicana’s Turn Around Texas
 SITE
DESCRIPTION
 28,000 Documented
Resident Population
 14 Square Miles
 45 Sworn Officers
 12 Non-sworn
 ORGANIZATION
OF TURN
AROUND TEXAS
 A community-based
organization
 Supported by the police
department
 Police provide security
and general assistance
Corsicana’s Turn Around Texas
 PURPOSE
To provide “a targeted confrontation, mobilization and
education process” led by citizens in conjunction with
and support from the police department intended to
intimidate drug dealers and drug buyers to stop displace
drug transactions.
Corsicana’s Turn Around Texas
 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Police department identifies drug targets
 Citizens go through a training program
 Police provide transportation and security to
marchers
 Marchers stand in front of target’s house and chant
with intent to intimidate
 Marchers sometimes paint “crack house” with arrow
on street
 Citizen involvement and weekly marches are
necessary
Corsicana’s Turn Around Texas
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 A commitment by police administration to the
program, including a willingness to participate,
devote resources, take risks, and permit
flexibility for officers to participate.
 Officers must be present at all marches for
safety, security, and support.
 Officers working with Turn Around Texas must
have flexibility.
Corsicana’s Turn Around Texas
 PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Virtual elimination of open air drug markets
after about one year.
 A large number of drug dealers have been
displaced outside of Corsicana’s city limits.
 Some reduction in violent crime.
 Very positive support for the police from the
community (including political support.)
 The police department has received increased
information about drug distribution from
neighborhood sources who were previously
reluctant to talk with the police.
Garland’s Apartment
Managers Group

SITE DESCRIPTION
 200,000 Resident
Population
 57 Square Miles
 287 Sworn Officers
 119 Non-sworn

ORGANIZATION
 The AMG is the
responsibility of the
day shift Patrol
Lieutenant
Garland’s Apartment
Managers Group
 PURPOSE
The Apartment Managers Group (AMG) was
formed in 1992 to serve as a problem
identification, communications, and resource tool
to reduce crime problems in apartment complexes.
Garland’s Apartment
Managers Group
 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 All managers of apartment complexes are welcome
to join
 Monthly meetings are held at the police department
+ Give AMG members crime analysis data
+ Discuss crime issues, problems and trends
+ Guest speaker at each meeting
 Monthly newsletter for AMG published by the
police department
 Police department has a dedicated telephone “hot
line” with voice mail for AMG members
Garland’s Apartment
Managers Group
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Having meetings on a regular basis, regardless
of the number of people who attend.
 Providing information which is of practical
use to the managers at the meeting, even if it
falls outside of the law enforcement purview,
per se.
 Holding monthly AMG meetings at the police
department; provides reinforcement that the
police are concerned and involved in problems
faced by the apartment managers.
Garland’s Apartment
Managers Group
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Regular contact with the police has increased
the quality of the relationship with apartment
managers--particularly evident through NPOs
 Having constant and open avenues of
communications between the AMG members
and the police department
 Providing information on crime and calls for
service to apartment managers.
 Help the apartment managers to see the need
to communicate with and cooperate with the
police.
Garland’s Apartment
Managers Group
 PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Crime reduction has been recorded in...
+ Auto burglary
+ Residential burglary
+ Drug trafficking in apartment complexes
 Most recently, auto theft has increased and a
strategy is being developed to address this problem
 While not specifically directed toward quality of
life issues, they have nonetheless improved.
 Some reduction in calls for service, most likely as a
result of eviction or displacement of problem
residents.
Dallas’ SAFE Team
(Support, Abatement, Forfeiture, Enforcement)

SITE DESCRIPTION
 1,100,000
Documented
Resident Population
 462 Square Miles
 2,886 Sworn Officers
 700 Non-sworn

ORGANIZATION
 SAFE Team is in the
Investigations Bureau,
Special Operations
Division
 Commanded by a
Lieutenant who reports
to an Assistant Chief
 19 sworn officers
 7 civilians (includes
attorneys and code
enforcement)
Dallas’ SAFE Team
 PURPOSE
To reclaim, restore, and revitalize Dallas
neighborhoods adversely affected by crime
through the use of criminal abatement statutes,
code enforcement, and civil and criminal
processes.
Dallas’ SAFE Team
 PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION
 Criminal nuisance cases are identified through...
+ Complaints
+ Referrals
+ Reviews of special use and zoning permit requests
 Case is assigned to an investigator to determine if there
is a statutory basis for a criminal nuisance complaint...
+ Drug trafficking and consumption of drugs
+ Prostitution (manifesting, promotion and compelling)
+ Illegal gambling (promotion and communicating)
+ Criminal gang activity (combination and/or street gang)
+ Random gunfire
+ Commercial obscenity (manufacture, distribution, exhibition)
+ Commercial dancing (sexually explicit)
+ Bull fighting
Dallas’ SAFE Team
 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 If the complaint meets requirements, owner meets at the
SAFE Team’s officer hearing room for a formal
notification (videotaped)
 Owner can sign an accord to make reparations or
changes
+ If so, the property is monitored by the SAFE Team
 If owners don’t comply, SAFE Team will take next
appropriate steps
+ Give extension
+ File criminal charges
+ Seek property forfeiture
Dallas’ SAFE Team
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Explicit policy-related guidelines must be
developed to meet abatement standards of both
criminal and civil law.
 Some level of autonomy is needed for the SAFE
Team because of the legal and operational
characteristics of abatement.
 Selective enforcement of nuisance and related
code enforcement violations is neither
operationally nor politically viable—a “zero
tolerance” policy is strongly recommended.
Dallas’ SAFE Team
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Because the processes deals with seizure and
control of property and the SAFE Team has a
degree of autonomy, a series of checks and
balances is needed to ensure accountability and
control.
 While it may not be feasible for every agency, the
Dallas SAFE Team has found that an invaluable tool
is having in-house attorneys whose responsibilities
are exclusively dedicated to the SAFE Team.
 SAFE Team administrators must be contemporary
managers with a team orientation.
Dallas’ SAFE Team
 PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Crime has gone down
 Quality of life has increased
 The Team’s activities, which physically
change problem environments, coupled
with the large number of cases the Team has
handled in a comparatively short amount of
time equates to a substantial impact on
crime and disorder.
Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 SITE DESCRIPTION  ORGANIZATION
 120,000 Documented
 Supervised by a
Resident Population
Lieutenant and Sergeant
 75 Square Miles
 Unit is in Patrol
Division
 265 Sworn Officers
 85 Non-sworn
 Eight officers assigned
permanently to seven
housing complexes
 Officers may “flex”
their hours
Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 PURPOSE
In 1994 the presence of gangs and growing violent
crime in Beaumont’s Public Housing complexes was
a signal that some police initiative was needed to
deal with the problem. With aid from a Federal
grant, eight police officers were assigned to the
newly created Public Housing Unit. The unit’s goal
was defined as “improving the quality of life for the
residents through proactive law enforcement, public
awareness and education.”
Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Officers permanently assigned to housing units
 Responsible for responding to calls and problem
solving
 Officers investigate the crimes in the units rather
than have them assigned to Detectives
 Essentially, the housing officer also becomes the
coordinator for all police services in the complex
Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 The public housing complexes were fully assessed
to determine the crime and disorder problems.
Assessments included…
+ Reported crime rates and types
+ Analysis of calls received at each complex
+ An examination of the physical environment of
the housing complex and contiguous areas
 Goals were clearly established: Reduce violent crime,
reduce calls for service, increase citizen-police
communication to aid in control of crime and
disorder, develop the best possible living atmosphere
for residents
Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Commitment by police management to the unit
 Officers were given:
+ Empowerment to take actions and make
decisions
+ Flexibility in hours and approaches
 Permanent assignments to a housing complex
 A youth-oriented approach
 Dedicated officers are critical to success--personnel
must be self-starters who work well with minimal
supervision, who are creative, people-oriented, and
willing to take the extra effort in their work
Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Regular communications and cooperation between:
+ Housing Unit officers and both patrol officers and
detectives.
+ Officers assigned at each of the housing complexes.
+ Officer and apartment managers
+ Officers and other city departments
 Officers must be both tough on crime and providing
assistance on quality of life issues
 Important tools for the housing officers also include:
+ Criminal trespass warnings and enforcement
+ Curfew enforcement (day and night)
Beaumont’s Housing Unit
 PROGRAM EFFECTS
 In the 6 months prior to the Housing Unit, there
were 1,550 offense calls in the seven apartment
complexes ranging from homicide to disorderly
conduct
 After the first six months of the Unit’s operation,
crime calls dropped by 13%
 Enforcement of trespass laws has been critical
 Awareness calls have increased--defined to include
a wide range of things including suspect sightings,
information on crime, nuisance calls, gambling,
prowlers, and calls for general assistance
 Quality of life has increased for residents
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section

SITE DESCRIPTION
 104,000 Documented
Resident Population
 93 Square Miles
 221 Sworn Officers
 72 Non-sworn

ORGANIZATION
 The Neighborhood
Services Section is in
the Patrol Division
 Section includes...
+ Bicycle officers
+ Housing officers
+ Neighborhood
Service Officers
+ Investigators
+ Community Oriented
Policing Officer
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section
 PURPOSE
To use an integrated approach of
Investigators, Neighborhood Oriented
Police officers, bicycle officers, Citizens on
Patrol, and Neighborhood Associations to
address crimes and quality of life problems
within defined Waco communities.
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section
 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Officers work cooperatively in a team approach both
only responding to complaints and proactively
identifying problems
 Officers are assigned to 24 different neighborhoods
 Investigators assigned to districts overlapping
neighborhoods
 Partnerships are emphasized--police personnel
interact with...
+ Neighborhood Associations
+ Citizens on Patrol
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section
 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Crime control efforts in the neighborhoods rely
on…
+ Offender targeting
+ Identification of crime hot spots
+ Crime prediction model
 Concept is largely one of “holistic policing” in the
neighborhoods
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Commitment by the administration to experiment
with an alternate organizational structure.
 Along with commitment, must be flexibility to
permit non-traditional approaches to deployment
and service delivery.
 A team management approach appears to be most
effective. This includes…
+ A flat organizational structure
+ Team (rather than individual) goals
+ Sufficient autonomy to make resource
deployment decisions
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Crime and quality of life problems tend to be
characterized by neighborhoods, thus
geographic
 Use both proactive and reactive policing.
 Targeting and analysis of offenders, crimes
and community problems.
 Developing trust and communications is
essential.
 There will be internal resistance to this change.
+ Supervisors and managers are more
difficult to change than patrol officers.
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section
 PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Crime has had an overall drop of 54% in one
year.
 Arrests have increased dramatically; mostly
adult offenders--these are the product of…
+ Greater offender targeting
+ Neighborhood team assignment of
investigators
+ More information provided by the community
 There are visible signs of a notably increased
quality of life in the neighborhoods.
Waco’s Neighborhood
Services Section
 PROGRAM EFFECTS
 The number of criminal nuisance abatement
cases brought to trial by the police department
have increased significantly.
 Officers working in the neighborhood Services
Section have had a significant increase in job
satisfaction. This increase is attributed to…
+ Officers are seeing positive results of their work
+ Officers are receiving positive feedback from
the community; a feeling of appreciation
+ Working in productive teams provides a more
desirable working environment.
Arlington’s Geographic
Policing Model

SITE DESCRIPTION
 291,600 Documented
Resident Population
 123 Square Miles
 478 Sworn Officers
 148 Non-sworn

ORGANIZATION
 City has 3 patrol sectors
in transition to being
geographically-based
 Rank of Captain
eliminated
 Lieutenant’s have a 24
hour responsibility for a
geographic area
 Sergeants coordinate
responses in patrol beats
(about 10,000 residents)
Arlington’s Geographic
Policing Model
 PURPOSE
Relying on geographic distribution of personnel;
team management; empowerment of line,
supervisory, and management personnel; and
generalization of some detective assignments, the
APD is implementing a deployment system
intended to be more responsive to neighborhood
problems.
Arlington’s Geographic
Policing Model
 PROGRAM
DESCRIPTION
 The department was ready to take “the next step” in
community policing--but unsure what that was
 After research and discussion, three elements emerged
as part of the new program
+ Organize the department on a geographic basis
+ Re-think the police services and citizen needs were
fulfilled
+ Change the management structure to facilitate these
 Lieutenants, not a shift commander, but have a 24hour responsibility for a defined geographic area
 They are responsible for monitoring crime/police
response issues; coordinating all police activities
Arlington’s Geographic
Policing Model
 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
 Sergeants became team leaders, responsible for
coordinating a comprehensive police response in
the area
 Work 10 hour shifts, overlapping to enhance
communications and provide time for coordinating
 Sergeants are coaches and team leaders, making
their roles more strategic and proactive
 Detectives also work on a geographic basis
 Performance evaluation system revised
 Essentially a mini-police department for the beats
Arlington’s Geographic
Policing Model
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Administrators must make a commitment to
the program in both words and actions.
 Because of the comparatively “radical” nature
of this program, changes must be made slowly
in order for personnel to accept them.
 Change must be made as painless as possible.
 Patrol officers must be given narrow objectives
to accomplish at first in order for them to see
some “wins” and adjust to the new system.
Arlington’s Geographic
Policing Model
 CRITICAL FACTORS
 Officers must be empowered to make decisions
about handling calls, prioritizing problems, and
developing innovations.
 Personnel at all levels of the organization must
be involved in the change process.
 Any changes must be contemporary and useful;
not cosmetic.
 The focus must not be solely on crime but also
on fear of crime and disorder.
 Administrators, managers, and supervisors
must listen to criticisms and make adjustments.
Arlington’s Geographic
Policing Model
 PROGRAM EFFECTS
 Crime has reduced in all categories.
 Citizens’ quality of life has increased.
 The ability to manage critical calls for service
has increased
 Job satisfaction among personnel has
increased.
 Internal communications has increased.
 Communications between the police and the
public has increased.
 It appears that the geographic-based model has
been more cost-effective.
Neighborhood-Centered
Programs Implications






Police departments must look to their communities to determine
needs--for example...
 Call and crime analysis
 Community surveys
 Input from officers
The department must be willing to take some risks--“color
outside the lines”
Examine alternate management, deployment, and leadership
methods
Determine what changes police personnel will accept
Determine what changes the community will accept
New programming can be effectively implemented
Neighborhood-Centered
Approaches
DISCUSSION
David L. Carter
Michigan State University