1997 S Health - UNC-Ch Community Based Public Health Initiative , Phase II

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Planned Approaches In order to enhance and promote these multi-faceted community-driven safe community initiatives, the Orange County Coalition will support a coordinator to oversee six sets of activities: 1. Increase police effectiveness and presence as well as explore redefining policing policies that better meet the needs and concerns of residents in the rural communities of Efland- Cheeks and Cedar Grove through strengthening.collaborative efforts with.the Orange County Sheriffs Department,the State Bureau of Investigation, the State Attorney General's Office, and the Board of County Commissioners. 2. Work with law enforcement partners to develop and implement a community policing concept that is applicable and useful to rural areas of Efland-Cheeks and Cedar Grove to decrease illicit drug activities and violent crimes. 3. Develop an appropriate neighborhood watch program using adaptations from some of the known existing state and national programs to motivate more active participation of community residents to create a safer environment and decrease criminal.activity. 4. Increase more direct involvement of Coalition members (the health department,the cooperative extension service,Joint Orange-Chatham Community Action,-Inc.,Parks and Recreation,the UNC School of Public Health,and the Northern Orange Family Resource Center) in training families to protect themselves against violence and violent crimes by collaborating with law enforcement agencies to conduct workshops and information sessions for community residents in the targeted rural areas. 5. Continue public/private partnerships currently underway to develop a community–school park(current partners include United Voices of Efland-Cheeks,Efland Cheeks School PTO, Orange County School Board, Orange County Parks and Recreation, and the Board of County Commissioners) which will improve community relationships as well as create a safer environment for families and community groups. 6. Expand the existing Teens In Power program,particularly through the hiring and involvement of a male teen program assistant/community advocate (the majority of teen participants continue to be young males)who can serve as a role model and assist in developing a teen component of safe communities to develop drug and violence prevention. Evaluation Evaluation will be a integral part of the specific program planning. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to determine how well the implementation of activities has occurred as well as to consider outcomes. Because the funding period is limited,it is unlikely that any measurable outcome related to incidence of crime and violent activity will occur. Thus, outcome measures that will serve as markers towards such a goal will be employed. For instance, after the drug patrols in the Perry Hills area had been going on,a resident remarked that the initiative had been a success. When asked how she knew, she stated that she could sleep through the night—an important outcome that might have been missed with traditional evaluation using incidence of crime as a measure. Thus, the evaluation plan will be developed through a 3