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Journal of the Indiana Academy of the Social Sciences

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This case study focused on a defined apartment complex hot spot, which includes apartment complexes receiving Section 8 funding, in the north-central region of Indianapolis, Indiana. The study identified social, environmental, and management characteristics possibly associated with concentrated levels of crime at Section 8 apartment complexes. As previous studies have shown, crime is concentrated at a few apartment complexes with a number of common characteristics such as a large minority population and a large amount of litter at the complex. In addition, a perspective of the effectiveness of hot-spot policing was obtained from beat officers who are familiar with the neighborhood with the targeted apartment complexes. A community survey was utilized to assess the current perspective of the apartment complex residents toward current policing tactics as well as their perception of safety. It was hypothesized that law-abiding citizens will be supportive of current and future measures to reduce crime in their neighborhood. Apartment complex residents who fear for themselves and their loved ones were at least moderately supportive of hot-spot policing. The multiple methods utilized contribute to the existing literature and lead to promising directions to consider for additional hot-spot research.

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