Putting the Evaluation Findings To Work

To develop relationships between police, prosecutors and community residents, create advisory committees drawing from leaders from all stakeholder groups to begin discussions about their perceptions of each other, their goals, concerns, and ways to work together.
Emphasize how criminal justice system employees can work more directly with the communities as problem solvers of crime. For instance, instead of community prosecutors becoming involved once a crime has occurred, they could work with the community to develop ways to prevent the factors that contribute to the likelihood of arrests. For example, prosecutors may use noise abatement laws to deal with noisy late night bars or sponsor trainings for landlords to help them maintain safer properties.
Use incentives, such as an active role in program planning, that appeal to the community to help increase the involvement of residents in program activities.
Consider the following when multiple community-based crime prevention programs (or comprehensive programs) are being implemented in a community: 1) Programs should address local circumstances and issues. 2) Programs should be coordinated and multidisciplinary. Operating multiple programs that are independent from each other or do not work together is an ineffective strategy. 3) Coordinated, comprehensive efforts will be easier to evaluate because the evaluation can account for each of the program's effects on the outcomes.

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