Notification of Community Crime (N.O.C.C.)

Have you ever imagined having the ability to predict when and where crime is going to take place, and then using that information to stop it from happening… like Batman?

This common childhood dream (and adult, let’s be honest), and research from the U.K., is what inspired the Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (N.E.T) to develop the Notification of Community Crime (N.O.C.C.) program and pilot it in three N.E.T. neighbourhoods. A recently completed review of neighbourhood crime in 2011 indicates that the program has had a substantial impact on rates of residential break and enter recidivism (a big word meaning the repeat of something undesirable).

The Research

N.O.C.C. is research based and outcomes measurable. The project is based on residential break and enter recidivism research presented by Kate J. Bowers and Shane D. Johnson with the European Journal of Criminology in 2005. Although their findings are fairly complex, the important pieces of the research, based on examples in the U.K., are clear.

• Repeat break and enters tend to occur in poorer areas, whereas, clusters tend to take place in more affluent ones
• Houses next to a break and enter are at heightened risk (compared to those located further away); particularly within one week following the initial occurrence
• Houses located on the same side of the street of the break and enter are at greater risk then those on the opposite side

According to the research, taking action based on these patterns two months after, and up to 400 meters from a prior residential break and enter, is vital. Based on their findings, Bowers and Johnson suggest the following actions be taken.

• A break and enter should trigger preventive action
• Efforts in poorer areas should be on preventing reoccurrence
• In more affluent areas, efforts should be on preventing break and enters of nearby homes
• There is a narrow window of opportunity, so preventive action needs to be put in place quickly
• The homes at greatest risk are on the same side of the street, those of similar structure, and most of all, neighbouring homes
• The risk is not greater in homes with identical floor plans than in those with mirror-image floor plans
• Clustering is most evident on straight streets

How N.O.C.C. Works

Since N.O.C.C.’s inception in 2009 a fairly significant volunteer base has been recruited, trained and organized. N.E.T’s partnership with youth volunteers from Centre High’s Emergency Response Career Pathways (E.R.C.P.), as well as the community at large, has been key to this.

Following a residential break and enter, N.E.T. contacts the community member whose property has been damaged and provides the N.O.C.C. crime prevention kit. These kits include crime prevention tips, a home safety audit, and a N.O.C.C. crime prevention poster to help deter thieves.

Then, on a bi-weekly basis, N.E.T. and youth volunteers canvass neighbouring properties of prior residential break and enters, speaking with residents and handing out N.O.C.C. crime prevention kits.

Up to 25 youth and N.E.T. staff have canvassed in areas affected by residential break and enters. This high concentration of youth volunteers attracts a great deal of attention and the bright yellow and black N.O.C.C. crime prevention posters also facilitate increased visibility. These signs have become a recognizable marker community-wide identifying the areas canvassed by N.O.C.C. volunteers.

All pertinent information is documented and hotspot mapped in conjunction with our Edmonton Police Service analysts. In the weeks following the response, any further crime in the immediate area is also documented and mapped. This helps with both the practical functions of the project and the evaluation of our efforts.

Some Results

By providing tools and increasing community dialogue, this project has resulted in some significant reductions of both residential break and enter recidivism and clustering. N.O.C.C. has now been facilitated by N.E.T. and volunteers in several of our targeted communities. Here are two examples highlighting some of some of the results we’ve seen to-date.

Alberta Avenue

N.O.C.C. volunteers and N.E.T responded to 54 residential break and enters, canvassing the areas of heightened risk from April, 2009 to September, 2009. At the completion of the pilot, volunteers had connected with approximately 2,700 households in the communities surrounding 118 Avenue, speaking with residents and providing crime prevention kits.

Efforts resulted in a significant reduction of both residential break and enter recidivism and clustering. Of the 2,700 households contacted by N.O.C.C., there were only five incidents of residential break and enter recidivism following a canvass [1]

Bonnie Doon

In Bonnie Doon, the team implemented the N.O.C.C. program for a six month period (November 2009 – April 2010), producing some staggering results. During these six months, residential break and enters dropped 66 per cent, which produced an incredible 30 per cent reduction in 2011 (compared to the average over the prior two years)!

N.O.C.C.’s legacy is community mobilization. It gets residents talking about crime prevention in their communities and provides the tools to reduce residential break and enters. Residents canvassed by N.O.C.C. often get involved in other community crime prevention initiatives and proactively become part of the solution.

N.O.C.C. is just one of the many unique solutions to common community concerns piloted here in Edmontonby your Neighbourhood Empowerment Teams. Interested in the results of N.O.C.C. and N.E.T. in general? You can follow me on Twitter for real time updates and information!