Community Crime Reduction Project

 

This assignment will be worth 20% of your final grade.

 

For this assignment you are permitted to work alone, with a partner or in a group of three and submit one report on behalf of your group.

 

Assignment

 

This semester we have learned that an important component of community policing is the police and the community working together to identify problems and then finding long-term solutions to those problems.

 

Below is a scenario describing a neighbourhood that is experiencing a number of issues.  After reading the scenario, complete the following steps:

 

• Identify what you believe are the problems in this community that require a solution

 

• For each of the problems you have identified, develop a solution that outlines what the police, the community, a social agency or a government agency could do to eliminate or reduce the impact the problem is having on the community.

 

If you can think of more than one role for the police or community to play in reducing or eliminating the problem, than indicate what they are. The more information you provide, the more I have to consider when I’m marking.  More solutions will generally result in a better grade.

 

Remember to think outside the box, but keep your solutions simple.  Quite often a very simple idea can have a major impact on a problem.  In many cases, the same solution could be used on more than one problem.

 

• Complete a report outlining your findings. Your report must be in the form of an essay (APA format) and must be least 1,000 words in length; but no longer than 1,500 words (approximately 4 to 6 pages – based on 250 words per page).

 

Each report must include a brief introduction, a main body and a brief conclusion.  All references you use must be cited and a bibliography included.  Marks will be awarded for spelling and grammar so be sure to proofread and spellcheck your paper before submission.

 

Scenario

 

Applewood Avenue is a residential street in the west end of Toronto.  The neighbourhood was built in 1955.  The people who live in the area are a cross section of seniors, middle aged couples and young couples with small children.  The homes in the area are generally well maintained.

 

Many of the houses on Applewood Avenue face onto a park situated on the south side of the street.  The park is named “Apple Grove Park” and it’s becoming a source of many neighbourhood issues.  The neighbours can see and hear the problems taking place every night.

 

Although there is lighting throughout the park, most of the lights are broken, burned out or obstructed by overgrown tree branches.  This has created many dark and secluded areas in the park.  A group of young people from another neighbourhood has taken advantage of the situation and started to hang out in the park after dark.

 

This group of young people have tagged the children’s playground equipment with graffiti and on several occasions broken beer bottles have been found on the ground near the children’s slide and climbing equipment.  Local residents have also reported finding used hypodermic needles on the ground, indicating illegal drug use in the park as well.  Fearing for their safety, many parents have stopped taking their children to the park.

 

There are a few garbage receptacles in the park but most are located near the road, well away from the playground equipment.  As a result the playground area and the park are often littered with paper, coffee cups, pop cans and fast food containers.

 

Applewood Avenue has a posted speed limit of 50km/h.  A few weeks ago, the speed limit sign was vandalized with spray paint and now reads 80km/h.  Speeding has always been a concern in the area but recently it has gotten much worse and now threatens the safety of the seniors and young children living in the area.

 

The residents are very frustrated.  Some are blaming the young people who hang around in the park, while others point the finger of blame at the police for a lack of action.  This is a neighbourhood in need of long-term solutions to these issues.

 

Helpful Hints

 

Community policing is a partnership and shared responsibility; it is no longer the job of the police to solve these problems all by themselves.

 

Think about what we have discussed in class, particularly how the police respond to crime in a community, the programs they use and the methods they deploy to deter crime.  The textbook, my teaching notes and the Internet should be a valuable resource as you consider each of these problems.

 

Quite simply, if you lived in this neighbourhood, what would you expect the police to do and as a member of the community, how could you become involved and be part of the solution?

 

Due Date

 

A hard copy of your assignment must be submitted to me during class on.  Assignments submitted electronically will not be accepted, unless previous approval is obtained.

 

Assignments may also be deposited in the assignment box located on the ground floor of Building “C” by the end of the day on the 20th in order to avoid late penalties.

 

If you submit your assignment in this manner, you assume the risk that it could be lost or misplaced in the transition from the assignment box to my personal mailbox.

 

Late Penalties

 

A penalty of 5% per day will be assessed for each day that your assignment is late.  After, the assignment will no longer be accepted and you will receive a mark of zero.