Agricultural Crime Initiative

Program evaluation improves success in solving, preventing, and prosecuting agricultural crime.

In conjunction with the Urban Institute, the Center evaluated a program conducted by the Agricultural Crime Technology Information and Operations Network (ACTION). This program is a unified cross-agency cooperation of the agricultural commissioners, district attorney offices, and sheriff’s departments in several counties throughout California. The initiative uses technology and training to assist law enforcement agencies to solve, prevent, and prosecute agricultural crime.

The process and outcome evaluation includes analysis of official records data compiled by the ACTION program, interviews with program staff, and surveys of farmers. The study is designed to answer several questions: (1) What is the logic and design of the program? (2) To what extent have the different components of the program been implemented? (3) What has been the impact of the program? (4) What factors facilitate or hinder effective implementation of the program?

Contacts

George Pesta, Ph.D.
Associate Director, FSU Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research

Dan Mears, Ph.D.
Project Director

Funding Agency: National Institute of Justice

Amount: $447,000

Dates: 2004-2007

Presentations

Mears, Daniel P., and Michelle L. Scott. 2005. “Opportunity Theory and Agricultural Crime Victimization.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

Scott, Michelle L., and Daniel P. Mears. 2005. “Applying Spatial Analysis to Survey Research of California Farmers.” Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, Tampa, FL.

Scott, Michelle L., and Daniel P. Mears. 2005. “Understanding and Reducing Survey Nonresponse Rates among Rural Farming Populations through Spatial Analysis.” National Institute of Justice Annual Crime Mapping Research Conference, Savannah, GA.

Scott, Michelle L., and Daniel P. Mears. 2004. “Where’s the Beef? Agricultural Crime Victimization and What Can Be Done About It.” Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, Sacramento, CA.