DECAYING INTEREST IN BURGLARY PREVENTION, RESIDENCE ON A BLOCK WITH AN ACTIVE BLOCK CLUB AND COMMUNICATION LINKAGE: A ROUTINE ACTIVITIES APPROACH

ABSTRACT

Many burglary prevention programs have problems keeping participants actively involved, but the nature of this decay in interest and what leads up to it remain largely unknown. Longitudinal, aggregated data from a ratio-level multidimensional scaling show that such decay increases with the proportion of residents livmg on a block with an active block club and with the number of neighbors with whom residents discuss what is going on in the neighborhood. To curb decay, the analysis suggests programs should encourage residents to participate routinely in activities that stimulate continued interest in burglary prevention.