European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes monday february 10,1986 citizen police ties key to cutting fear of crime study says Washington a City police departments can reduce the fear of crime and in some cases crime Levels through door to door Contact with residents and by opening storefront police stations concludes federally financed study released sunday. The two year study of a number of experimental projects in several Low and mid dle income neighbourhoods of Houston an Newark nj., also found a number of techniques were ineffective in attempting to in crease the residents sense of personal safely in Urban  the failed approaches were Fol Low up contacts by police with crime Vic Tims publication by police of neighbourhood newsletters and cleanup programs aimed a reducing physical deterioration. The study found that in Houston where the population is growing rapidly and population density is Low contacting resident about crime related problems Ana stimulating the formation of neighbourhood organizations can reduce the fear of crime and even reduce the actual level of victimize  an older City such As Newark Success Ful techniques included opening a Low rent storefront police station in the neighbor Hood and directing police to make contacts with residents in their Homes combined with aggressive Law  of crime can be even More Debili Tating to cities and destructive to neighbor hoods than the actual incidence of crime itself said James Stewart director of the National Institute of Justice the Justice department research Agency that financed the  successful strategies in Houston and Newark require that police administrator Sand managers decide that their officers will listen to and work with Law abiding Citi Zens in efforts to reduce the fear of crime that plagues too Many Urban neighbor hoods said  Houston authorities used a state Grant to open a Community storefront police station and businessmen subsequently donated space for  years of finding Liat Many of the traditional approaches to policing did seem to be As effective As we thought it s. Pleasantly surprising to find that there Are simple inexpensive techniques that work said Tony pals a researcher at the police foundation the private non profit group that conducted the  Newark bus riders on their Way Home from work gave a standing ovation to offi cers who began conducting spot checks of City buses where trouble frequently had occurred. Several new businesses opened in on Newark neighbourhood because police launched a coordinated Community project that featured a Community police Center and intensified Law  Houston information developed through contacts at the Community police station helped uncover a Large fencing operation and burglary  police officer s ridicule of his assign ment to go door to door and talk with Resi dents turned to enthusiasm within two weeks. Officers said information supplied by the residents was useful to Law enforce ment and the residents enjoyed the Contact. There were some problems  victims reacted negatively when re contacted informally by Telephone in a Effort by police to demonstrate that authorities cared about their plight. The. Survey showed that some hispanic and asian Vic Tims who were re contacted demonstrated More fear about crime than did victims who did not receive any follow up Contact. The strategy May have provided too Little assist Ance too Long after the victimization the report said. Leon Klinghoffer s widow is dead of cancer at 58 new York