Is the Sum Greater than the Parts? Assessing a Crime Reduction Collaboration

• In Event: New Research Examining the Role of Collaborations in Crime Prevention

Abstract

Community collaborations that include criminal justice, social service, faith-based, and grass-roots organizations are touted as an important means to reduce violence; yet the collaborative effort itself has received little empirical attention. This research examines the success of a crime reduction collaboration in two communities. Relational coordination, a best practice from organizational science, is used to assess the degree to which site partners are effectively collaborating on violence reduction efforts. A mixed methods design using pre-post survey data, interviews, and observational data shows promising results. Implications for how successful collaborative efforts may be translated into crime reduction goals are discussed.

Authors

• Erika Gebo, Suffolk University

• Brenda J. Bond, Suffolk University