Abstract
This program brief about the Safe Neighborhoods AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP) in Bridgeport, Connecticut presents public safety training and related practices undertaken by AmeriCorps members, resulting in increased community safety and reduced overall costs for the community. Excerpted from the document,
Effective Practices in Public Safety.
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Issue
In many low-income communities, the safety of many residents, especially the elderly and physically-challenged, is jeopardized by numerous home burglaries. However, many dwellings often lack basic safety and security features.
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Action
Through the Safe Neighborhoods AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP) in Bridgeport, Connecticut, AmeriCorps members are trained to conduct home safety assessments and security hardware installations. They provide these services free of charge for local residents who report numerous burglaries. AmeriCorps members engage in the following practices that contribute to increased community safety:
- Participate in free or reduced-cost training sponsored by municipal agencies and/or licensed professionals (police, firemen, electricians, and locksmiths).
- Perform safety assessments, followed by security hardware installations for the elderly, physically challenged, and residents who have reported numerous burglaries.
- Distribute applications for services to interested homeowners through neighborhood action councils, police posts, and community associations.
- Participate in a two week orientation with a focus on community and public safety (e.g., doing service in the community, conflict resolution, organizational culture, neighborhood surveying).
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Citation
National Crime Prevention Council.
Effective Practices in Public Safety. Washington, DC: 1999.
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Outcome
SNAP has completed 1,849 assessments and 1,529 security installations since the project began in 1994. Only one of these secured homes has had an attempted, and unsuccessful, break-in. The existence of home security deters crime in these neighborhoods and helps residents feel safer. Hardware and labor costs are offset by savings in personal property loss and police investigations. These safety installations have also resulted in lower insurance premiums for homeowners and tenants. An indirect benefit of the program for members is that they become sufficiently skilled to set up their own home security business, if they so choose.
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Posted On
May 1, 2000
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Source Documents
Related Practices
No related practices
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Related sites
Bridgeport Police Department
Topic Areas
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