NCPC Resources

New From NCPC

Guía del Tutor para Personas que Trabajan con Niños Prometedores
(Mentor Guide for People Working With Children of Promise)
More than 1.5 million children in the United States have a parent in prison. Studies have shown that caring and responsible mentors can make a difference in the lives of these “children of promise.” This publication, now available in Spanish, describes the role of a mentor and offers strategies to help mentors work with children between the ages of seven and 11. The guide provides assistance, ranging from the mechanics—activities a mentor can do with his or her mentee—to the underlying issues—how a mentor can help the child cope with the substantial impact on daily life of the incarceration of his or her parent.

Both publications can be ordered from NCPC’s online store at Mcgruffstore.org or our fulfillment center at 800-NCPC-911. Specify Item M96 (Mentor Guide) or M96S (Guía del Tutor). Copies are $7.95 each, plus shipping and handling.

Limited Offers!

Standing in the Gap: Local Family Strengthening Initiatives for Safer, Better Communities
All families strive to bring up their children to be safe, healthy, nonviolent, and productive members of their communities. Through citations of research and local experience, this publication emphasizes the many strong linkages between support for families and the prevention of juvenile delinquency and crime in the community.

Standing in the Gap defines and describes the ways in which many community and local government resources can contribute to family support and crime prevention goals. It asserts that local government is a powerful pulpit from which to advocate for policies, programs, and resources that support strong and stable families. Moreover, it provides local decision makers with a rich array of tested approaches from which they can draw insight into how to make a difference on such a complex issue.

This book is intended for local officials and activists. Priced at $13.95 in NCPC’s catalog, it’s now available for a limited time for $8, a discount of $5.95. Call 800-NCPC-911 to order today. Please specify Offer A21 when you order. Shipping and handling charges are extra.

Creating a Blueprint for Community Safety: A Guide for Local Action
This book is meant for the person who will be doing the hard work of managing, coordinating, and spurring a local initiative to action. The process of forging a community safety plan is not easy, but it is not impossible either. It is not simple, but equally it is not overly complicated. It requires commitment, belief in the potential for success, expectation that agencies can work in new ways, and confidence that average citizens can do the extraordinary. Creating a Blueprint for Community Safety, designed to help communities take charge of solving their crime problems by focusing on prevention and early intervention, is the product of the work of thousands of people whose experiences are distilled and presented to benefit those charged with leading major action-planning initiatives at the local level.

For a limited time, you can order this publication at the reduced price of just $8 ($7.95 off its NCPC catalog price of $15.95). Call 800-NCPC-911 to order today. Please specify Offer A20. Shipping and handling charges are extra. Bulk discounts: Order ten or more copies and get an additional 20 percent off!

Other Resources Available

From the COPS Office

COPS Office Releases Report on Video Surveillance

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has released a report debating the use of video surveillance technologies, such as closed-circuit television (CCTV), by law enforcement to address crime problems. 

By now, most of us are used to being watched by surveillance technology in commercial and semi-public establishments such as banks, casinos, convenience stores, and shopping malls. The benefits of using CCTV may include a reduction in crime and the fear of crime, aid to police investigation, place management, and information gathering. 

On the other side of the debate is the concern that the growing use of CCTV is an intrusion that could fulfill the Orwellian “Big Brother” image. Indeed, some unintended consequences of CCTV use can include displacement and increased suspicion and fear of crime.

This COPS publication tackles examines the research about video surveillance, describes the strengths and weaknesses of using CCTV in a public setting, and provides answers to many of the public’s concerns.

“Video surveillance for crime prevention is a tactic increasing in utilization,” said Carl Peed, COPS director. “This [report] is beneficial to both law enforcement and the community in understanding the proper implementation of video surveillance and acceptance of the practice.”

Video Surveillance of Public Places, part of the COPS Office Response Guide Series, is available online. To order a free printed copy, call 800-421-6770. 

COPS Office Offers Resource To Address the Problem of Juvenile Runaways

A new resource from the COPS Office, Juvenile Runaways, will help local law enforcement analyze the local juvenile runaway problem. With the number of juvenile runaway episodes approaching two million a year, law enforcement are likely to encounter runaways as they patrol areas where these juveniles congregate, investigate missing persons reports, or deal with crimes involving juveniles as perpetrators or victims. The problem is complicated by the fact that runaway episodes often indicate family troubles and other societal issues.

Juvenile Runaways is rich with information on the factors that contribute to juvenile runaway episodes—triggers and seasonal and temporal issues—the methods of departure, destinations, duration, and consequences.  Specific questions will help law enforcement understand the problem and develop appropriate responses. 

Juvenile Runaways, part of the COPS Office Problem Specific Guides for Police, is available online. To order a free copy, call 800-421-6770.