Providing college graduates with experience in victim rights and crime prevention projects
Abstract
AmeriCorps, in partnership with the Montgomery County Police Department, often uses college graduates with degrees in criminal justice or social work as volunteers. This provides the graduates with field experience and supplies the program with focused, trained volunteers. The program description is from Effective Practices in Public Safety, 1999.Issue
Community policing efforts can be strengthened by offering crime prevention and victim assistance by AmeriCorps members with relevant educational backgrounds.Action
Attract college graduates from such fields as criminal justice and social work by offering opportunities for solid work experience assisting crime victims and instructing community members about crime prevention techniques.Context
The AmeriCorps members in the Community Policing Project in Montgomery County, MD have an average age of 26 years. Most have college degrees in criminal justice or social work.
In 1999, AmeriCorps members assisted over 500 victims of crime. In 2000, community mobilizers worked with over 250 mentally-and developmentally-challenged citizens on a crime prevention curriculum designed to empower these individuals so that they will not become victims of crime.
Citation
National Crime Prevention Council. Effective Practices in Public Safety. Washington, DC: 2000.Outcome
By utilizing college graduates to educate the community on public safety and crime prevention techniques, the incidence and recurrence of crime is reduced. Also, by specifically targeting vulnerable members of the community for crime prevention education, fear of crime is reduced.Posted On
May 1, 2000For More Information
Patricia Beauchamp
Montgomery County Police Department
9125-A Gaither Road
Gaithersburg,
MD
20877
Phone: (301) 840-2664
Fax: (301) 840-2546
Email: beaucp@co.mo.md.us