The Florida Senate

426.004  Handicapped and elderly assistance program objectives; priorities for award of security assistance grants.--

(1)  It is the intent of the Legislature to enable housing authorities that operate housing projects in this state which serve the handicapped and the elderly to become involved in activities that are designed to prevent criminal activity against residents in such housing projects and reduce such residents' fear of being criminally victimized in and around their homes.

(2)  In awarding security assistance grants to eligible applicants under ss. 426.001-426.007, the bureau shall establish priorities based upon the following considerations:

(a)  The demonstrated need for such security assistance, as evidenced by:

1.  The crime rate in the target area, as compared to the crime rate in contiguous and nearby areas, with particular emphasis upon the percentage of crimes committed within the preceding 5 years against the handicapped and the elderly, when such a demographic breakdown is possible.

2.  The unavailability of sufficient alternative funding necessary to initiate or complete the activities as the activities are envisioned in the proposed program design.

(b)  The likelihood that alternative funding resources will be available to fund partially the initial costs of the proposed program or will become available to continue to fund the program after it has become established.

(c)  The submission by the applicant of a proposal for the establishment of services within the framework of a program design which:

1.  Establishes new and innovative anticrime services in the target area which are cost-effective and either have future alternative funding possibilities or require initial funding only, such as security hardware or equipment purchases, or which strengthen or expand existing anticrime services in the target area, when such services have proved cost-effective within the current funding limitations for such services and when it can be shown with reasonable certainty that there is a need for such strengthening or expansion.

2.  Places emphasis upon direct crime-prevention-related services which do not duplicate existing services available within the social service system.

3.  Provides for the effective utilization of existing services available within the social service system, when appropriate and practicable, in correlation with services to be provided by the applicant.

4.  Encourages the use of volunteers, when appropriate and practicable.

5.  Demonstrates cost-effectiveness.

6.  Establishes measurable objectives and provides for the establishment of an effective data collection system and a method for the verification of service delivery.

7.  Establishes the likelihood of the program having a measurable, significant, and broad impact upon the handicapped and elderly population within the target area, with respect to crime prevention and the provision of security against crime.

8.  Provides for the monitoring and evaluation of the anticrime services that are to be provided by the applicant, in accordance with requirements of the bureau.

History.--s. 3, ch. 84-250; s. 66, ch. 85-81.