Conducting a Community Safety Assessment

1. Conducting a Community Safety Assessment

2. Training Objectives 1. Define Systems Approach 2. List selection criteria for selecting at- risk neighborhoods. 3. Define neighborhood boundaries. 4. List assessment team members. 5. Collect and analyze crime and other data. 6. Learn the Zone Method.

3. Systems Approach • People • Devices • Environment

4. Define Neighborhood Boundaries • Consult with the jurisdiction's planning department. • Consult with community and business leaders in the targeted area. • Consider natural boundaries like major streets and highways, train tracks, rivers and streams, wooded areas, and others. • Consider statistical reporting areas established for the law enforcement agency, census bureau, and the community planning department

5. Assemble the Assessment Team Crime Prevention Officer Police Investigator Health Department Building Inspection Fire Department Traffic Engineer Community Groups Educator Social Service Board Housing Manager

6. Zone Method A Zone Method can be used to conduct the physical and environmental security assessments of the targeted neighborhood.

7. Zone 1: Immediate Neighborhood • The extent to which the neighborhood is compatible with surrounding areas. • Sites in the neighborhood that may serve as crime and disorder generators. • Level of crime and disorder in the immediate neighborhood.

8. Zone 2: Property Boundaries • Property boundaries as the first line of defense. • Separates the developments from adjacent property. • Enhance residents' sense territoriality (sense of ownership). • Access onto the property is limited. • Entrances observed and protected. • "No Trespassing" & other signs visible and adequate. • Property identified with distinctive signs & landscaping.

9. Zone 3: Open Spaces • Adequacy of lighting. • Opportunity for surveillance. • Support activities (benches & play areas). • Location & surveillance of playgrounds. • Unprotected or unassigned space. • Trees, shrubs and underbrush. • Maintenance of streets, sidewalks and open spaces.

10. Zone 3: Open Spaces • Litter and graffiti. • Location of pay phones. • Traffic and other signs. • School bus stops. • Public transportation bus stops and shelters. • Location and security of maintenance buildings. • Gathering places for juveniles and young adults.

11. Zone 4: Building Exteriors • Access control into buildings • Doors and screens • Windows and screens • Peep holes • Locking devices

12. Zone 4: Building Exteriors • Alarms • Building and apartment numbers • Exterior lighting • Trees and shrubs adjacent to buildings • Privacy and identification of front and back porches and yards.

13. Zone 5: Building Interiors • Interior doors, windows & vision panels • Locks on doors & storage areas • Alarm systems Interior lighting • Movement control • Space utilization

14. Zone 5: Building Interiors • High risk and secure areas • Computer security • Staff and security staffing • Staff and closed circuit-television (CCTV) monitoring

15. Questions Today we have learned how to define Systems Approach and list selection criteria for selecting at-risk neighborhoods. We learned to define neighborhood boundaries, list assessment team members and how to collect and analyze crime and other data. We also learned how to apply the zone method.