Bcu Local Crime Community Action Q1 How

BCU Local Crime Community Action

Q1 How long have you lived in this neighborhood and do you know all your neighbors by face and name and if not can you see reasons for this, please explain?

Rationale 1 This question is designed to attempt to understand how well the neighborhood knows one another and if there is at least facial recognition between long time residents and student tenants. This question also attempts to create a written rather than anecdotal record of the residential beliefs regarding the variant student population and the increase in crime and is open ended for this purpose.

Q2 When did you first notice that crime began to increase and can you describe the events and experiences that you have been witness to or been victim of in relation to crime?

Rationale 2 Again this question is a way of discerning the current crime conditions and to create a written rather than anecdotal record of the insight of long time residents associated with the neighborhood and the change in crime events. Again the question is open ended and contains two parts. Some of this information might also be used to demonstrate to university officials that individuals living in this neighborhood who attend university may need to be contacted by other means to improve their safety.

Q3 Do you feel you have any personal insight regarding the reduction of crime in the neighborhood and if so please explain?

Rationale 3 This question is designed to put on record the ideas of the current and interested residents with regard to what they believe will help the crime situation as they are the street level witnesses of the events as they have unfolded over time. This question is also open ended to allow residents the opportunity to offer suggestions for change that may not have been proposed previously and offer greater community/local insight.

Q4 Why did you choose to attend the community meeting discussing the rise of crime in the neighborhood and how did you learn about the event?

Rationale 4 The question is designed to determine why the individual resident attended the crime meeting and also determine what methods for advertising the meeting were effective. Broadening the exposure of the community meeting so as to introduce students (the more common crime victims) to the community action is essential if an education/awareness plan is to work.

Q5 Would you be willing to pay a nominal fee (10) for the ability to have a personalized home security inspection and have window and door locks installed on your property?

Rationale 5 This question is designed to ascertain the willingness of residents to pay the 10 dollar fee to increase the security of each home in the neighborhood via the education/awareness and intervention campaign. This is a yes or no question determining willingness.

Q6 Would you be willing to participate in a recruitment campaign that would include door knocking in the area to make sure that residents are aware of the benefits of crime prevention and to invite people to a brief workshop explaining the individualized plan for this neighborhood?

Rationale 6 This question is designed to discern the willingness of local residents to become proactive in the solution by allowing them to become part of the education plan recruitment to help secure the homes in the area and make residents (including students) safer. The question is a simple yes or no question but could aide greatly in the decision making regarding the limited resources associated with the outcome of the program.

Q7 Do you think it would be more effective to contact property owners rather than attempt to involve temporary tenants in a campaign to improve safety over the long-term and if so would you be willing to do so in some part and do you know any of the local property owners who let to students?

Rationale 7 Though community policing theory often stresses involvement of all individuals involved in rare cases, such as frequent turnover and temporary tenency it is sometime more effective to contact property owners and get them involved in the long-term security of their property. This question is designed to determine if the community can be a helpmate in this process.

Q8 Would you be opposed to closing the garden walking paths with locked gates and assigning keys to each resident household?

Rationale 8 The question is designed to see how much opposition would be created by the proposal to gate and lock the walking paths associated with the neighborhood to eliminate the ease of access and exit for criminals and force those who persisted to utilize the front of homes as well as the more visible public street to access homes

Q9 Do you think locked gates alone would be an effective response to crime if so why and if not why not?

Rationale 9 The question is designed to demonstrate public opinion on this possible response to the crime problem and is open ended to help elicit greater understanding of opposition or acceptance of the idea.

Q10 Do you have any questions about what this inspector or other experts might think is the best plan of action toward reducing the property crime in your neighborhood and if so what are they and may we contact you for further discussion in the future?