The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.
Crime Prevention
Programs that help people who own and drive automobiles protect themselves from auto theft or carjacking by suggesting measures which discourage the individuals who are perpetrating these crimes. Educational materials may address what to consider when selecting a place to park, how to behave when entering or leaving a vehicle or driving on city roads or highways, how to be alert when stopped at a light, what to do if confronted by a carjacker, what to look for when purchasing a used vehicle and how to evaluate various anti-theft devices. Also included are programs initiated by law enforcement which make it easier for police officers to conduct an investigative stop of a vehicle under suspicious circumstances. The program enables residents who rarely drive their automobile late at night to register their vehicle with the police and to obtain a decal which, in effect, gives the police their permission to stop the vehicle if it is being driven during prescribed hours.
Programs that help people who own and ride bicycles protect themselves from bike theft by suggesting measures which discourage individuals who are perpetrating these crimes. Included may be registering the bicycle so that registration information can be included in a police report; making a record of the bicycle's serial number, make, model, color and other distinguishing characteristics; taking photographs of the bicycle; writing contact information on a rolled up piece of paper inside the handlebar or seat tube where a thief is unlikely to look; always locking the bike and using high quality, keyed locks that aren't easily cut to secure the bicycle when parked; and making special provisions for quick release wheels and accessories that are not protected when the frame is locked.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of bullying, a form of violence among children, on school playgrounds, in neighborhoods and in homes, through a variety of interventions which may include use of an anonymous questionnaire to assess the nature and prevalence of the problem, development and announcement of an intervention program, open discussions of bullying at school and in other venues, increased supervision of children in areas that are "hotspots" for bullying, arrangements for reporting bullying incidents, immediate intervention when bullying incidents occur, development of protective strategies for targets, formation of support groups for victims of bullies, discussions with parents of involved students, and engagement of community members in support of the program. Most bullying prevention programs are school based and target students in elementary, middle and junior high schools. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or psychological; and involves intentional, repeated hurtful acts, words and other behavior such as name-calling, threatening or shunning committed by one or more children against another child.
Programs that help to protect the safety of children by providing a means of identifying them should they run away, become lost, be abducted or become victims of another form of violent crime.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of child abduction through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families and/or the community at large. Delivery formats may include fact sheets, safety tip lists and other informational materials; individual or group educational sessions; and general media campaigns.
Community Crime Prevention Programs
Programs that involve the business, religious or residential community in planning, funding or implementing a crime prevention program, often in cooperation with the local criminal justice system.
Crime Prevention Equipment/Registries
Programs that operate personal property identification registries and/or pay for or provide devices that can be uses or installed on their property which help to deter criminal activity.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of cyberbullying, a form of harassment or stalking also known as "online bullying", that uses the Internet, cell phones or other devices to send or post text or images (particularly on social media sites) that are intended to hurt or embarrass another individual. Harmful bullying behavior can include posting rumors, a victim's personal information (e.g. real name, home address, or workplace/schools) or pejorative labels (hate speech) with the objective of damaging the victim's reputation and friendships. It may also include public actions such as repeated threats, sexual remarks or defamatory false accusations, ganging up on a victim by making the person the subject of ridicule in online forums, hacking into or vandalizing sites about a person, or posting false statements as fact that are aimed at discrediting or humiliating the targeted person. Cyberbullies may also use impersonation, creating fake accounts, comments or sites posing as their target for the purpose of publishing material in their name that defames, discredits or ridicules them. Many prevention programs are provided by schools systems and some jurisdictions may have laws that explicitly include electronic forms of communication within stalking or harassment laws.
Programs that help individuals and organizations protect their Internet connection or mobile phones and other telecommunications devices from vulnerability to hacking, phishing, spamming or other offences, such as their identity or tools being used by others to commit a crime. Security measures include use of strong passwords; activating the computer's firewall; installing and updating anti-virus/malware and spyware detection software; avoiding unsolicited emails and suspicious text messages; avoiding public Wi-Fi; protecting personal information on social media; shutting down computers when they aren't being used; locking mobile devices; and encrypting confidential data to keep it secure. Bank and credit card statements should be promptly reviewed for suspicious activity. Organizations may also face malicious (or unintentional) threats from current or former employees, vendors, contractors, visitors or others trusted by the organization with access to their facilities, equipment or systems. This may negatively impact the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the organization, its data, personnel, facilities and associated resources. Effective insider threat mitigation programs are prevention-focused and can detect improper or illegal actions, assess threats to determine levels of risk, and implement solutions to mitigate potential consequences.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of date rape, verbal and physical abuse, threats of abuse and other forms of violence that occur between dating teens through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on potential victims and perpetrators; agency, school or health care personnel who work with them; or the community as a whole. Activities may include classroom-based education, teacher workshops, parent workshops, peer leadership training, counseling groups for males who abuse or threaten a female peer, and community-based workshops for out-of-school youth. Programs may also be available for older people who are dating.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of child abuse, elder abuse and spouse abuse in family settings through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families and/or the community at large.
General Crime Prevention Programs
Programs that provide information about a wide variety of options which help citizens protect themselves from crime rather than specializing in a particular type of crime prevention.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of intimidation, property crimes and violence against individuals on the basis of their real or perceived race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability through a variety of educational interventions that focus on making people aware of the problem, encouraging people to actively condemn behaviors that promote hate crimes, and helping to develop cultural sensitivity in communities that are experiencing tension or where incidents have already occurred.
Programs that work to prevent or reduce the incidence of human trafficking, i.e., situations in which individuals are abducted, sold, recruited under fraud or pretense or otherwise brought under the control of another person and forced into prostitution or other controlled situations against their will, either domestically within their own country or internationally. While women and children are particularly vulnerable to trafficking for the sex trade, human trafficking also includes individuals who are trafficked into forced marriages or into bonded labor markets such as sweat shops, agricultural establishments or domestic service. Prevention measures may include training for law enforcement officers, prosecutors and judges; development of legislation that makes trafficking illegal in source and destination countries; and awareness campaigns for potential victims and the community at large that describe the tactics criminal groups use to coerce and traffic potential victims, what people at risk can do to protect themselves against illegitimate groups, how to identify trafficking victims, the rights of trafficking victims and how to get help. Also included are law enforcement and prevention efforts that focus on the sources of demand for trafficked services; development of responsive and culturally competent trafficking intervention systems that people can trust; and other activities that support the rights and address the needs of trafficking victims, penalize and impede the activities of perpetrators and motivate the community to become involved in the issue.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of identity theft by making people aware of the means by which thieves obtain the personal information they use to assume another's identity and steps that can be taken to protect that information. Suggestions include regularly reviewing credit reports for fraudulent accounts; destroying important papers including pre-approved credit applications and credit card receipts using a crosscut shredder; taking care at ATM machines and in other public venues that there are no observers stealing PIN numbers or eavesdroppers recording information provided orally; picking up new checks rather than having them mailed home; omitting telephone numbers from checks; mailing bill payments from a post box rather than a home mailbox; regularly monitoring bank statements; and other similar precautions. Identity theft occurs when someone fraudulently obtains private information about an individual, e.g., his or her Social Security number, uses it to apply for credit in that person's name, runs up large bills and then disappears without paying the bills leaving the victim with ruined credit. Identity thieves may also purchase expensive medical services in the victim's name or give the victim's name and personal information to a law enforcement officer during an investigation or upon arrest leaving the individual vulnerable to large medical bills or subject to arrest.
Juvenile Delinquency Prevention
Programs that offer a variety of activities for youth who are at risk for behavior which is likely to involve them in the juvenile justice system with the objective of assisting them to improve self-esteem, to become aware of alternative ways of dealing with feelings and leisure time, and to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Included may be counseling, rap and discussion groups, tutoring, companionship programs, alternative peer group experiences and supervised recreational activities.
Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Programs
Organizations that offer firesetter intervention programs for children and adolescents, some as young as age two or three, who have demonstrated a fascination with fire and who may have set one or more fires accidentally or through curiosity-motivated fire play. Activities generally include an interview with the youngster and his/her parents to determine the motivation for the firesetting behavior and the severity of the problem; information regarding the appropriate and safe use of fire, child supervision techniques and responsibilities, what to do if a fire occurs and the consequences of setting fires; and a concluding tour of the local fire station. Problem firesetters with deeper problems are referred to the mental health system for counseling or, if malicious criminal intent is involved, are charged with juvenile arson and become the responsibility of the juvenile justice system. Juvenile firesetter intervention programs are often offered by local fire departments in cooperation with police agencies, schools and other community groups.
Offender Registries/Community Notification
Programs that seek to prevent released offenders, particularly those who are violent, from committing new crimes by requiring them to register with local law enforcement officials or other agencies; and/or or by authorizing or requiring that probation and parole departments, law enforcement agencies, or prosecutor offices disseminate information about released or about to be released offenders to the community at large, generally via newspapers, television, community meetings or posting lists of released offender names on the Internet. In most jurisdictions, community notification is reserved for sex offenders.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation and enhance the ability of people to leave or avoid prostitution through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families, professionals who work with women and youth who are part of the commercial sex industry and/or survivors, law enforcement personnel, members of the judiciary, public officials, and/or the community at large. The programs may provide information about attitudes and myths related to prostitution and related issues, how young people and others are led into prostitution, profiles of pimps and recruiters, recruitment scenarios, risk behaviors and warning signs, the consequences and repercussions of prostitution, and available community resources.
Radicalization and Violent Extremism Prevention
Programs that work to lower the threat of local terrorism by individuals or small groups who have been recruited online or by other means to adopt an extremist belief system that supports the use of violence against people to achieve ideological, religious or political goals. Programs seeking to counter violent extremism strive to educate communities and increase their resilience against the impact of extremist recruitment narratives, sometimes with counter-narratives; provide forums for discussing issues such as civil rights, discrimination and hate crimes and associated grievances; encourage community led interventions to halt radicalization at an early stage and address social alienation; help families identify instances of provocation and employ de-escalation strategies aimed at presenting opportunities for the individual to abandon the path of radicalization; and implement other community based approaches.
Programs that offer the services of trained security personnel who accompany people who feel uncomfortable or unsafe walking or biking alone during evening, night or early morning hours to their car, public transit stop or (depending on the program) other destinations. Safety escort services are frequently offered by campus police agencies to students, faculty and staff on college/university campuses but may also be available in urban downtown areas or other settings. Escorts may be equipped with radios which allow them to be in constant contact with law enforcement and offer a safe alternative to walking alone at night. Some programs offer van transportation in addition to walking escorts.
Programs that make professional crime prevention personnel available to check property for security weaknesses and make recommendations for improvements that will assist in preventing burglaries and other forms of property crime.
Programs that offer physical conditioning exercises and teach participants the basic moves of self-defense including how to kick, strike, punch, block, fall and escape from a variety of holds. Techniques from one or more or the martial arts may be included.
Programs that help people who may be vulnerable to rape, molestation or other forms of sexual assault become aware of the general precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk of becoming a victim, and the alternatives for handling the situation should they be approached or attacked.
Programs that provide professional advice regarding measures that merchants can take to prevent theft of their merchandise by shoppers. Also included are programs, some of which are court-mandated, that are designed to make convicted shoplifters aware of the effects of their actions in an effort to discourage them from shoplifting again.
Programs, often offered by police departments, that periodically check the residences of people who are on vacation to ensure that nothing has been disturbed. Some programs will, for a small fee, collect mail and newspapers from the property and check all windows and doors on a daily basis.
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of violent acts committed by youth on the streets, in the schools or in other settings through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families, the schools, health care providers, law enforcement officials and/or the community at large. The program may provide information about model/promising prevention and intervention programs and crisis response strategies; descriptions of the risk factors associated with youth violence; research including statistics on violence committed by and against children and teens; outreach; and/or presentations that may be tailored for a variety of audiences.