anti-crime programs

Here is a short list of programs that have reduced the crime in other communities. While Davenport hasn't done much, to my knowledge, these communities showed their ingenuity by working this out. Can we learn, and possibly use one of these programs? I don't know, but I certainly hope so. In no particular order, and by all means not all the programs, here they are-

Turn Off the Violence- Minneapolis, MN. (National program) Go toTOTV.
Turn Off the Violence is a movement that has engaged hundreds of organizations and thousands individuals to implement and advocate violence prevention. The message promoted by Turn Off the Violence is "Violence is a learned behavior. It can be unlearned." Turn Off the Violence asks people to turn off violence in all its forms: physical, sexual, and verbal.
Turn Off the Violence aims to make people aware of nonviolent ways to deal with anger and conflict and to help people realize that violence as entertainment is one form of violence we can choose to turn off. The campaign operates on a limited budget and relies heavily on volunteers and collaborative relationships to develop and promote the campaign. The focus of the organization is on helping to promote and support local grassroots efforts to raise awareness.


Texas City Action Plan to Prevent Crime (T-CAP) Go to t-cap.
T-CAP involves grassroots citizens, community organizations, local leaders, and municipal agencies in developing comprehensive plans to address their communities' crime problems. It proceeds from the belief that crime prevention requires resident involvement; a joint planning effort that engages city leaders with municipal agencies; a thoughtful combination of efforts undertaken with firm resolve; and a process that asks, challenges, and engages all that is vital to making the community safer and better.


Police Homeowner Loan Program- Columbia, S.C. Go to PHLP
This program addresses two major problems of inner-city neighborhoods: crime and deteriorated housing. Columbia's Community Development Department in partnership with Columbia's Police Department created a loan program that expands the city's community-based policing initiative. It offers low-interest, no money down, 20-year mortgage loans to police officers who work in Columbia. Police officers who live in the city receive a $500 end-of-year bonus and become eligible for promotion to the rank of captain or above. This program offers an incentive for them to become homeowners and permanent residents of the neighborhood.

Illinois Council for the Prevention of Violence(ICPV)-chicago, Ill. Go to
ICPV.
ICPV is a statewide organization formed to address the prevention of violence in all its forms: family violence (child, spouse, and elder abuse), sexual assault, youth gangs, gun related violence, hate crimes, and other violent behaviors.

Court Alternatives Division Volunteer Program-Melbourne, Fl. Go to CADVP.
The Court Alternatives Division provides administrative services to the Brevard County Court by facilitating misdemeanor probation, pretrial release, pretrial diversion, alternative dispute resolution, alternative community service, and the operations of the drug court. Through the alternative community service program, offenders are allowed to demonstrate their positive behavior and attitudes by serving as court-appointed volunteers under supervision. Discretion is used in the type of work they are allowed to perform in place of a court penalty or fine.

Community Board Program (CBP)-San Fransisco, Ca. Go to
cbp
CBP promotes conciliation and mediation as effective strategies for resolving disputes without violence. Nearly 300 volunteer mediators trained by CBP help resolve conflicts referred from communities, the police, small claims courts, and juvenile probation and other organizations in San Francisco. Nearly 20 percent of cases are youth related, and the inclusion of teenage mediators on the panels assures young disputants that their views will be heard. Increasingly,mediators assist in disputes involving gangs and in cases where prejudice triggers hostility among youths.

The Alliance for a Safer, Greater Detroit-Detroit, Mi. Go to ASGD.
In May 1992, leaders from Detroit's business, community, and criminal justice organizations formed the Alliance for a Safer, Greater Detroit to establish a comprehensive anti-crime coalition.

The Alliance reviewed recommendations from executive committee members to develop a series of initiatives for its crime and violence prevention strategy. The initiatives were grouped into topic categories ranging from criminal apprehension, dangerous buildings, and handgun safety to crime prevention and school safety.

The Mission Valley River Preserve-San Diego, Ca. Go to
MVRP.
The Mission Valley River Preserve is a multiagency collaboration to revitalize the environment through crime reduction. Because arrests and environmental cleanups were not alleviating the problems -- including illegal lodging, illegal dumping, drug violations, and murder -- the San Diego Police Department formed alliances with the River Bed Task Force, the University of San Diego, the Parks and Recreation Department's Parks Rangers, the California Native Plant Society, the office of city council member Valerie Stallings, and concerned citizens to develop a permanent solution to erase the criminal element from the river.

All of these programs and more are on this web page.