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The best way to strengthen a community is to fill its streets with profitable businesses, stable housing, educational opportunities, and citizen leaders who watch out for one another. That is what the UACDC’s anti crime efforts are all about: Empowering an entire community to become a safe and sustainable place to live, work and play. Holistically, we are turning high-crime areas into zones of great hope.
The Coordinated Community Anti Crime Initiative was established in 2004 in response to rising crime indicators in Tampa’s University Area. At the time, there was no anti crime initiative in place, and the community needed a strategic approach to create positive change.
The initiative was created as a pilot program, grounded on the principle that the model can be adapted and implemented in any neighborhood faced with challenges which are often precursors to criminal activity, such as unemployment, poor housing conditions, and little or no access to social services.
This comprehensive program encompasses the skills and resources of local residents, business leaders, academic institutions and service providers to manage issues and reduce crime within their own neighborhoods.
As a result of the program, the community has developed an infrastructure that supports safe, stable and sustainable neighborhoods. Some of the many initiatives that have contributed to positive change include:
- Increased lighting
- Expanded sidewalks
- Construction of a community center with added services
- Formation of a business association, faith based coalition, and an apartment owners and managers group
The success of the pilot program was shared with community leaders statewide in a series of symposiums and workshops. The symposium,
Strategies for Safe and Sustainable Communities, featured an overview of the program and an introduction to explain how it can be replicated in other communities. The
Analyzing Your Community for Success workshops were a series of hands-on workshops offering community leaders additional information, resources, and tools to implement anti crime programs. Due to the elimination of funds for the anti crime program, all future Initiatives have been placed on hold in hopes that future funding will be sought out.
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