Assignment task:
Respond to the post below. Expand on their ideas and explain why you agree or disagree.
There are many different community crime prevention programs a few of these include, neighborhood watch programs, citizen volunteer programs, and crime stoppers. Neighborhood watch programs are defined as "a group of people living in the same area who want to make their neighborhood safer by working together and in conjunction with local law enforcement to reduce crime and improve their quality of life." (National Sheriffs' Association, 2024). Citizen volunteer programs are defined as "trained citizen volunteers to report suspicious activity and provide uniformed presence in areas where police are not deployed." (National Crime Prevention Council, 2017). Crime stoppers is another great program "that allows members of a community to provide anonymous information about criminal activity." (USLegal, 2024).
All three of these programs are a great aspect of the community in allowing citizens to play a role in keeping the community safe. The one that I believe will have the most potential to reduce and prevent crime is the citizens' volunteer program. This program is especially essential in today's society with most agencies' current staffing issues. This allows for organizations to have a fully trained individual prevent a lesser crime before a cop can or has to be there. It also helps promote community policing by expanding the relations between citizens and police.
Businesses throughout the United States have become increasingly involved in assisting local police departments by using their learned tactics to get things done. Businesses also can provide a "private foundation often used to collect donations" (Dempsey & Forst, 2012). Businesses also have the personnel and resources(Dempsey & Forst, 2012) to get things done quickly and less obviously.