HD95 - "HotSpot" Communities


Executive Summary:
In 1999, the Virginia General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 503 (Appendix A) directing the Virginia State Crime Commission to do a study of Maryland's "HotSpot" Communities initiative. The study evolved due to legislative questions regarding the applicability of such a program in Virginia.

Findings

The Crime Commission Found:

• The Maryland initiative is in 35 communities all of which had high crime rates prior to the initiative.

• Maryland will allocate $10.5 million in state and federal funds over the next three years to the communities for collaborative crime control and prevention plans.

• Virginia has had several state or federal initiatives similar to "HotSpot" Communities in recent years including, Anti-Crime Partnerships, Weed and Seed Programs and the New Partnership Commission.

• Some Virginia localities are currently initiating similar coordinated crime control programs, including the City of Richmond's "Blitz to Bloom" project.

• There are several other similar initiatives in other states, which could also be effective in Virginia.

Recommendation

Based on these findings, the Crime Commission recommended:

• The Virginia State Crime Commission continues to examine the potential applicability of a "HotSpot" Communities model as part of the Senate Joint Resolution 240 Study of Organized Crime, Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering.