Evaluation of the Urban Initiatives Anti-Crime Program: Final Report

摘要

The Urban Initiatives Anti - Crime Program, created in 1979 to reduce crime and fear in public housing, was unable to provide concentrated, effective assistance to those projects which most needed help. A comprehensive evaluation of the program found that it was created without sufficient information about the extent and nature of crime in public housing and that the demonstration sites selected were not necessarily those most in need of such a program. The Urban Initiatives Anti - Crime Program was given such an ambiguous status within HUD that its ability to operate successfully was minimized. Moreover, the evaluation found that the program attempted to centralize control to such an extent that intolerable delays and unfortunate violations of local concerns occurred. The technical assistance provided to local staff was so inadequate that the effectiveness of the local programs was seriously constrained. The program produced mainly ineffectual local efforts and had no impact on local living conditions, fear of crime, victimization, or recorded crime. The evaluation includes information on the program's development, implementation at the national and local levels, the nature of the problem at the local level, and indications of impact. A total of 13 notes are listed. (Author summary modified).