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We have incorporated your testimony in the record and that will free you to focus in on the points that you would make before the committee in person. Welcome.

[The statement follows:]

STATEMENT OF RICHARD SHAPIRO, MIDWOOD KINGS HIGHWAY

DEVELOPMENT CORP.

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Subcommittee: I have come before you today to share a unique experience. I represent the Midwood Kings Highway Development Corporation, an umbrella organization formed two years ago in response to the needs of the 64,000 residents of Midwood, in Brooklyn, N.Y. This community is a clear example of a middle class community in transition. Pressures from the urban environment had caused the crime rate to escalate and the perception of safety to deteriorate. City services had also deteriorated at a steady rate. The turnover of homes and apartments in the community had been increasing monthly. The Development Corporation was formed in an effort to get Federal, State and City assistance to reverse these trends.

In May of 1978, we received from the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration notification of a grant for a Community Anti-Crime Project. We proposed to use that money to organize the citizens of our community to work together to prevent crime where traditional methods had failed, and to enable citizens to perceive their community as a safe and stable place to live. The main thrust of our effort has been over the past nine months to organize our community into a cohesive single unit, to organize home owners, tenants, blacks, whites, young and elderly, to work together towards a common goal.

When we began, only a small fraction of our community had any civic organizations at all. Today, in our 200-square-block area, we have created over 75 Block Associations and over 20 Tenant Associations. These small grass roots groups are currently coordinated into six civic associations covering the entire project area. The president of each Block or Tenants Association sits on the Executive Board of their own Civic Association. Each Civic Association, in turn, reports to our umbrella. Through this system, over 1,000 dedicated citizens have given up at least one night a month to ride in civilian patrols acting as the eyes and ears of our Police Department.

Each Civic Association has signed up thousands of its members in over a dozen specific crime prevention programs. The citizens in our community have turned out in massive numbers to do their part to prevent crimes from occurring in our area. For example, we publish every month a 24,000 copy newspaper which is hand delivered by handicapped students to every family in our area. Open community meetings held monthly by each Civic Association and most Block or Tenant Associations, draw huge crowds regularly. We estimate that over one-half of our community residents are now directly involved in one or more or our crime prevention programs.

What is remarkable, Mr. Chairman, is that the programs work. According to documentation provided by the New York City Police Department, in spite of having less police than ever before, crime rates in our community have dropped drastically for the first time since 1964. Burglaries, which were the biggest single problem in our community, have dropped 31 percent since the programs began. Auto larcenies, the second biggest problem we faced, and in fact our area was first in the City of New York in auto larcenies, has dropped an amazing 35 percent. All other categories of crime have followed the downward trends.

The programs were developed and refined through many methods. Community input and local expertise have been combined with guidance and leadership provided by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration Office of Community Anti-Crime Programs, and technical advisors have been provided to us through groups like the Center for Community Change. These services have been invaluable.

Our programs are succeeding only because we have taken a broad approach to community problems. We work with landlords who are willing to improve their buildings. We work with youth organizations to channel hundreds of youngsters into constructive programs, who otherwise would not have a place to turn for recreational centers. We work with schools who want to fully involve

themselves with their communities. We work with senior citizens who pay the highest price financially, emotionally and physically as victims of crime to preserve the community in which they have spent their entire lives. We work with our neighborhood religious institutions, whose congregations and buildings have suffered greatly from increased crime.

We have organized our three major commercial strips into Boards of Trade. which enable them to unite in development projects which keep our neighborhood stores a viable community asset. Our Midwood Mardi Gras, for instance, organized by the Development Corporation and the Avenue M Board of Trade, last year drew 75,000 community residents to a street fair which boosted one of our most vital shopping districts. This year we anticipate over 100,000 people attending.

We work with city agencies and our local Planning Board in two major direc tions. Through our offices, we have advised and restructured the delivery of services to our community to insure proper priorities and operating efficiency. This has had a massive impact on the quality of life in our area. In addition, we have organized large volunteer efforts, which had they been paid for by the City would have cost millions, assuming that the City had those funds available, which they do not.

We have undertaken programs to upgrade our apartments, our commercial strips and our housing stock. Some additional funding has begun to come inte our area as a result of much difficult systematic work done by our citizens and staff operating from the base solidified by the LEAA funding.

We are basically returning to the community a real sense of control over the quality of their daily lives. Our Development Corporation office has become virtually a "Midwood Town Hall" for citizens to contribute their time and effort. With that sense of control comes the concerted effort to remain in and improve upon their own neighborhood.

Mr. Chairman, a community is fighting back. Fighting the trends that have affected our cities all across the nation. The fact that we have had any success at all reflects only a unified community which is determined to survive.

All we have done is begun the battle, not won the war. If two years from now, or three years from now, the crime rates have continued to drop, the turnover of houses has slowed significantly, and the citizenry is involved in an ongoing organized community development effort, then and only then will we have made some progress. My appeal to you, to the Congress, is basically that you have helped us to help ourselves. We ask you to continue to do so. Thank you.

COMPONENTS OF THE MKDC SECURITY PROGRAM

(1) Car Patrols.—Over 1,000 residents volunteer for nightly patrol in 5 civilian car patrols, highly visible, as the "eyes and ears" of the NYPD. Central radio communications provided by MKDC. Average 3 cars a night additionally volunteered by community residents. Three of the 5 regular cars totally financed by LEAA, two partially financed (10¢ a mile). Over 3,300 hours patroled as of 2/28/79 by regular cars. Patrol sector by Civic Association.

(2) Moped Patrols.-Three Auxiliary Police (A/PO) units (70 Precinct, €3 Precinct, and 61 Precinct) patrol afternoons and evenings in conjunction with regular NYPD patrols. Ten mopeds funded by LEAA 4 to 70, 4 to 63 and 2 to 61). A/PO's in direct communication with NYPD Central Communications Bureau and police on patrol. Restricted to MKDC boundaries.

(3) Tenant Patrols.-25 tenant associations organized into lobby patrols monitoring ingress and egress of apartment building. Phone chains organized and shriek alarms distributed. Three buildings contractually supported by LEAA.

(4) Helping Hands.-School children's assistance program. Decals designate homes available to school children in need of assistance. 2,000 homes enrolled to date on voluntary basis, through school PTA's.

(5) Crime Protecction for the Aged.-500 locks installed and 20 gross shriek alarms distributed to area's indigent elderly. Massive security education program to all area senior citizens.

(6) Ultrasonic Intruder Alarms.-50 alarms distributed to local Civic Associations for use by residents as burglary deterrent. Primary use during vacations and in particular trouble spots-some use by victims awaiting building repair. (7) Shriek Alarms.-20 gross distributed to phone chains and area elderly (see 5 above, and 8 below).

(8) Block Watchers-With area organizing effort (see below) community edu cation for all citizens to be "eyes and ears" for police. Phone chains organized on almost every block for citizens in dire need (emergency use only). Shriek alarms utilized.

(9) Home Security Checks.-Over 500 on site evaluations of private homes and apartments by detectives assigned and trained by NYPD to survey and recommend correction of residential vulnerability. 6 detectives assigned. Written reports given to citizen.

(10) Operation Identification.-Over 500 homes registered. All personal valuables engraved with social security numbers and registered with NYPD. Decals given to residents. Engravers and cards provided.

(11) Auto Decal Program.-Over 500 autos registered and coded visibly with description of principal driver-identifiable by any police officer on patrol. All registered with NYPD.

(12) Newspapers.-"Midwood Sentry"-24,000 copies-one for each resident in area-hand delivered by NIEH students to entire area monthly. Community and security education and news.

(13) Legislation Surveillance.-Bills relating to security issues followed through legislative process and community educated on status. Consultation with local legislators on types of legislation necessary. Testimony given before committees when called for.

(14) Court Watchers.-Citizens mobilized and transported to court when case concerning their block is pending. Used only in cases where residents themselves are directly affected.

(15) Crime Follow-Ups and Victim Assistance.-Agency referral and advocacy and individual follow ups through Civic Associations and individually, as necessary. Locks installed when called for.

(16) Block and Tenant Organizing.-Cornerstone of program to organize and channel 64,000 residents into block by block or building by building small grass roots groups. Educate residents and enroll them into specific projects (delineated above). Group small organizations geographically into civic associations. (17) Youth Program.-Set up and operate Edward R. Murrow Youth Center. Current enrollment: 350. Center operates Monday and Wednesday evenings 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. Expected funded effective July 1, 1979 will expand program to Monday through Friday 7 to 10, and Sept. 10, 1979 to Monday through Friday 2:30 P.M. to 10 P.M.

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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Richard B. Shapiro, 489 McDonald Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Personal.-Born: November 25, 1949; married: October 1971 to Jean S. Shapiro; children: Lee 6, Stewart 4, and David 2.

Education.-W. C. Mepham High School, Bellmore, N.Y. June 6 1966; Long Island University, Brooklyn, N.Y. June 1970.

Work experience

June 1978 to present: Midwood Kings Highway Development Corp.: Security specialist (June 1978 to November 1978); overall responsibility for security programs.

November 1978 to present: Project director, overall responsibility for entire program.

July 1975 to June 1978: Store owner-book and card shop.

July 1971 to July 1975: Greenman Bros. Inc., Farmingdale, N.Y.-store manager and security manager (various retail outlets nationwide).

July 1970 to July 1971: Broad Horizons, Inc., Muncy Valley, Pa., hotel manager and assistant to president.

[blocks in formation]

Kensington-Self Help Community Services-President of board of directors. A title III program for complete services of any nature free to all senior citizens of the Kensington area. Helped in original grant and funding and currently leading a community based board in tailoring a professionally run program to the needs of the neighborhood.

70 Precinct Auxiliary Police Community Affairs Officer (Shield 2034)—As community affairs officer I have responsibility in aiding block associations, neighborhood groups and any concerned citizens in the field of crime prevention. I have addressed over 100 such groups in the past year concerning police functions, auxiliary police functions, Operation Identification, Blockwatchers, Auto registration, home and business security, and much more.

McDonald Ave. Association, vice president. Founder and vice president of local block association.

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