Programs
Changing Our Communities Through Crime Prevention
Volume 30, Number 3 - April 2009
As of the December issue, NCPC will be suspending the publication of Catalyst. For up-to-date information on crime prevention, please log on to www.ncpc.org.
Editor: Martin W.G. King
In This Issue
Editorial
Keeping Our Promise to Senior Citizens
By Alfonso E. Lenhardt, President and CEO
It is up to us to protect our seniors just as we look out for any other group whose safety we champion.
Our Top Stories
New Initiatives, Free Resources Help Law Enforcement in Grim Economic Times
By Marsha Hott, NCPC Staff
Faced with shrinking budgets and, in some places, rising crime, communities are turning to NCPC’s free resources for help.
Mixed Data on Drug Use by Youth
By Steve Pasierb, Guest Contributor
The annual Monitoring the Future study provided a wealth of data on drug use by young people. While there was progress in some areas, there were also areas of serious concern. Steve Pasierb, president of The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, analyses the figures.
What Works
Rethinking Retail Theft Prevention Pays Off in Boise
By Curtis Crum, Guest Contributor
Faced with shoplifting by career criminals and out-of-town gangs, the Crime Prevention Unit of the Boise Police Department forged a new anti-theft program in cooperation with merchants. The initiative has paid off handsomely.
McGruff Corner
Events Season Begins
By Jeff Broderson, NCPC Staff
With the approach of spring, you’ll soon be getting an increased number of requests for appearances by McGruff. Schools, Neighborhood Watch groups, churches, charities, boy scouts, girl scouts, other organizations that serve young people, and many other groups will soon want McGruff on hand. One upcoming event—Take Your Child to Work Day on April 24—is sure to bring a lot of requests. So will company picnics.
NCPC will forward any requests it receives directly to the nearest law enforcement agency in possession of a McGruff costume. In the meantime, be prepared for the responsibilities that go with wearing the McGruff costume and making public appearances. It’s an important role and, like any established tradition, public appearances must be carried out honorably and ethically. So, please check out the McGruff Guidelines before making your arrangements.
And, while you’re at it, let’s all “Take A Bite Out Of Crime®.”
Resources Worth Noting
Every month, we assemble announcements of exciting publications, events, and more.
Prevention Works Blog Feed
February 3, 2009: Dating: A New Crime Prevention Strategy?
— A new report has found that teens in serious dating relationships are less likely to commit crime than peers who date casually. But before we ask our crime prevention officers to become matchmakers, let’s examine why those relationships may reduce crime. The authors of the study believe the key reason is the connection and sense of responsibility to another person that develops in a committed dating relationship.
February 5, 2009: Teen and Tween Dating: Hazardous to their Health? — National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week has just concluded. A 2008 report commissioned...
February 10, 2009: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood — “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a neighborly day for a neighbor. Would you...
February 17, 2009: The Benefits of CCTV — While wandering in an underground parking deck in a large city—because I had forgotten where I parked my car—I soon realized that I must be under camera surveillance. An estimated 30 million surveillance cameras are in use in the United States.
February 20, 2009: "Sexting" and Other Picture Posting Pitfalls — In the past few weeks, I've read stories that should make us all pause and...
February 24, 2009: New NCPC Resources Will Help You "Take A Bite Out Of Crime®" — It seems there is no escaping the continuous "bad news" about the economic downturn and its impact on crime—which is rising in some parts of the country. If you are a law enforcement officer you know the connection first hand. If you're a community crime prevention practitioner, you are probably frustrated by the reduced resources available to help you fight crime in your community.
March 3, 2009: P.O.S.S.E Keeps Kids Out of Gangs — A recent NCPC training conference call on gangs sponsored by the Community Capacity Development Office attempted to answer the question, "Why Do Kids Join Gangs?" Oscar (Ossco) Bolton, founder of a Kansas City, MO, gang prevention organization gave his insights and he should know: Bolton was a former gang leader and helped recruit scores of youth into his gang. Nowadays, Bolton uses his influence for good and works with thousands of youth annually in the Kansas City area and provides positive alternatives to gangs through his organization— P.O.S.S.E. (Peers Organized to Support Student Excellence).
March 10, 2009: Campaigning Against College Campus Crime — Ignorance is bliss. Right? Maybe, but not when the topic is crime on your own college campus. And just now, as a seasoned college senior, I realize the extent to which campus crime remains underreported and unpublicized. College students, we have been hoodwinked!
March 17, 2009: Nowadays, Crime Prevention and Technology Are Often Interwoven — It didn’t take long for video images of the crash of the US Airways plane in the Hudson River to be available everywhere. The crash was recorded by a security camera, one of the most prevalent uses of technology in crime prevention.
March 24, 2009: Social Networking - The Good and Bad — According to the Center for Media Research, "Most parents in the United States estimate that their children spend about two hours a month on the Internet. In reality, kids and teens are spending upwards of 20 hours a month surfing the Web. Forty-one percent of U.S. teens claim their parents have no idea what they are looking at online. The most popular online activities are online dating (23 percent), social networking (50 percent), and playing games (72 percent)."
Reproduction of articles for nonprofit use is granted by the National Crime Prevention Council.
This publication was made possible through Cooperative Funding Agreement No. 2008-DD-BX-0687 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Opinions are those of NCPC or cited sources and do not necessarily reflect U.S. Department of Justice policy or positions. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
The National Crime Prevention Council is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. Contributions are welcomed and are tax deductible.
Copyright © 2009 National Crime Prevention Council. All rights reserved. McGruff the Crime Dog® and "Take A Bite Out Of Crime®" are registered marks of the National Crime Prevention Council.
