Res 1986-003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

3. Approach: a. Statement of Tasks Involved: Crime Detection - '!he COordinator reviews daily reports and has designed a pin map to detect crime trends and assess trouble spots in the camuni ty. This serves several purposes: patrol sergeants are notified in writing by the Coordinator of the problems so that patrol concentration can be shifted, NeighOOrhood Watch captains can be infonned of problems within their neighborhoods and how they should be addressed, and crime victims in neighborhoods not participating in the program are contacted to offer assistance and prcmJte the fonnation of a Neighborhood Watch group in that area. Innovative Approaches to Encourage Participation - In addition to using standard approaches to encouraging citizen participation such as contacting civic, busine§ös, and cx:mm.mity groups, innovative approaches are also used. In the Neighborhood Watch program, once an area has been organized and displays the Neighborhood Watch signs, a reserve officer is assigned by the Coordinator to patrol the area. This gives residents an added incentive to participate and the signs have taken On a new meaning. Not only is the crimi.na1 forewarned by the signs that suspicious activity will be reported by the residents, but that there is extra patrol in the neighborhood. Children are also encouraged to participate in NeighbOI:hood Watch activities. Older children, under the supe:rvisiòn and approval of their parents, can be block captains. Since children many times know ltDre about the activity within a neighborhocxì that adults, they are a valuable source of infonnation. This also instills the value of crime prevention in the child at an early age. Another successful zæthcx:i of encouraging participation in Neighborhood Watch is by the Coordinator attending local Planning Carmission ræetings with neighborhood groups to voice their conce:msof city services that directly relate to crime prevention. For exanple, inadequate lighting wi thin a neighborhood that would prarote and not deter crimi.na1 acti vi ty , overgrown brush areas that offer concea.1mant for offenders, or even proposed changes wi thin a neighborhood, which if implemented, could threaten the neighborhocxì' s security by improper enviroruœntal design. By attending these meetings with neighborhoods, a stronger bond is created and word spreads that there is power in numbers. Changes can be made to increase their security and these problems can be dealt with. Juvenile CriIœ Prevention Programs - In order to educate children to increase their awareness of crime prevention at an early age, the COordinator introduced the M:Gruff puppet program to the local schools. D.1ring the first three m::mths of the present grant year, over seventy presentations were given. By mid year it is anticipated that enough funds will be raised to have one puppet in each classrocm wi thin the school district. The Crime Prevention. Unit will continue to visit each of the five schools at least twice a year and provide crime prevention training to the students. A new program instituted this year is the Helping Hand Program. City vehicles and private industry vehicles such as gas, tele~e, and electric company vehicles have a special enblem affixed to than that the child can recognize as a vehicle he can safely approach for help. Since we teach children to stay away fran strangers, the children had to be provided a resource for help when they are in a foreign area. One of the biggest problems facing children and young adults in San Marcos is the lack of any recreational facility or place they can go to after school and in the evening hours to socialize. '!he outcome has been that juveniles congregate em 15b