Preventing Illegal Dumping to Address Community Violence

摘要 这是一项使用随机对照组（RCT）设计的非法倾倒研究，有两个实验组。 研究人员已经证明，恶化的空地与犯罪和暴力密切相关， 包括枪支暴力，以及通过割草或用 美化环境有助重建社会资本，提高安全感，减少罪案和暴力。然而， 居民参与的绿化工作（已证明可增强预防暴力的绿化效果）往往 被非法倾倒破坏，定义为重复处理废物，尽管不适当，通常是秘密的 方法.经历非法倾倒的空地面临更高的暴力和犯罪风险， 增加这些网站上的身体障碍。空置率上升和经济撤资的城市 美国投入了大量时间和资源来补救倾销活动。尽管严重， 非法倾倒的普遍性，很少有研究人员系统地研究这个问题或确定 可行的预防模式。这项随机对照试验的目的是评估 社区开发的非法倾倒预防干预县拥有的空地， 关于在密歇根州弗林特市非法倾倒的报道，弗林特市是一个空置率和经济劣势集中的城市， 犯罪我们将研究两种不同方法的效果（倾销干预加居民参与 维护与倾倒干预）到非法倾倒预防身体失调和暴力犯罪， 包括与枪支有关的警察事件，相对于没有受到干预的控制地点。我们将进一步 检查有和没有社区参与的干预措施的有效性， 居民维持和监测防止倾倒的干预措施。为了研究每一个国家的可持续性 这两种方法，我们将纵向测试一个子集的防倾倒区的效果。我们 还将通过跟踪整个城市的倾倒报告，研究倾倒的位移， 新的倾弃场出现在补救场地附近。最后，我们将进行成本效益和 对有和没有居民参与的维护进行干预的成本效益分析， 清除垃圾，避免暴力和与枪支有关的犯罪。我们将与杰内塞合作 县土地银行和社区进步中心执行研究和传播研究结果， 通过其社区和国家网络实施的成本效益和最佳做法。

Abstract This is a study of illegal dumping using a randomized control group (RCT) design with two experimental arms. Researchers have documented that deteriorated vacant lots are strongly associated with crime and violence, including firearm violence, and that greening vacant lots by mowing them or enhancing their appearance with landscaping can help to restore social capital, improve sense of safety, and reduce crime and violence. Yet, resident-engaged greening efforts (shown to enhance greening effects for violence prevention) are often undermined by illegal dumping, defined as the repeated disposal of waste though improper, often clandestine methods. Vacant lots experiencing illegal dumping are at even higher risk for violence and crime, due to the increased physical disorder on these sites. Cities with elevated vacancy and economic disinvestment across the U.S. devote significant time and resources to remediating dumping activity. Despite the severe and widespread nature of illegal dumping, few researchers have systematically studied this issue or identified viable modes of prevention. The purpose of this randomized control trial is to evaluate the effects of a community-developed illegal dumping prevention intervention on county owned vacant lots with repeated reports of illegal dumping in Flint, MI, a city with concentrated vacancy and economic disadvantage, on violent crime. We will examine the effects of two different approaches (dumping intervention plus resident-engaged maintenance vs. dumping intervention) onto illegal dumping prevention on physical disorder and violent crime, including firearm related police incidents, relative to control sites receiving no intervention. We will further examine the effectiveness of the intervention with and without community engagement, in which neighborhood residents maintain and monitor the dumping prevention intervention. To study the sustainability of each of these two approaches, we will test the effects of a subset of the dumping prevention sites longitudinally. We will also study displacement of dumping by tracking overall dumping reports across the city and examining if new dumping sites are appearing near the remediated sites. Finally, we will conduct cost effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses of the intervention with and without resident engaged maintenance for both costs of dumping removal and violent and firearm-related crime averted. We will work in partnership with the Genesee County Land Bank and Center for Community Progress to implement the study and disseminate study results, cost-benefits, and best practices for implementation through their community and national networks.