2009 MetLife Awards: Westside Crime Prevention Program's Safety and Security Committee
Date Published: 12/09/2009
Author: Lauren Kopper
Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center & New York Police Department
2008 MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Special Strategy Award for Seniors & Safety
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The Westside Crime Prevention Program coordinated a collaboration between the New York Police Department and the Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center to address safety and security for senior citizens residing in public housing developments on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center serves 800 adults over 60 years of age. Of that population, 88 % of the residents are low-income African Americans or Latinos who live in 13 high-rise public housing buildings and one apartment complex adjacent to the public housing. After identifying crime and fear as major quality of life issues for the senior residents, the Westside Crime Prevention Program provided highly effective training sessions for seniors on observing, identifying and reporting crime. Through strong communication with officers of the local NYPD precinct, the crime prevention program was able to increase senior safety awareness, engage seniors in crime control efforts, and decrease overall crime by 17%. Notably, the NYPD altered its deployment patterns as a result of the community-police collaboration, resulting in more effective and community-oriented enforcement activities.
Type: Case study / model practice