Citizen Contact Program (Houston, USA)
Life periods served
Country of application
Description

This is a police program that consists of informal contact between police officers and residents, through visits to homes, businesses, streets, and parking lots.

The topics covered were crime, fear of crime, perception of safety, and perception of the police. The questions are contextualized in a brief presentation by the police officers to the residents, expressing an interest in getting to know the area better and identifying the main problems perceived by the residents of the region.

During the intervention, the police officers assigned to the informal approach were released from answering emergency calls.

Impact evaluations

An impact assessment showed a reduction in measures of fear and personal victimization, property crime, social disorder, and police aggression. Higher rates of public satisfaction with the police service were observed [1].

The authors suggest that police departments adopt patrols in low-density neighborhoods, emphasizing home visits, and that any future efforts to implement the program be accompanied by the training of officers for this specific task [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Wycoff, M. A., Skogan, W. G., Pate, A. M. & Sherman, L. W. (1985). Citizen Contact Patrol: The Houston Field Test. Executive Summary [Final Report]. Washington, D.C. National Institute of Justice (NIJ). https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/106340NCJRS.pdf