Crime Privention

19/4/2012
Prevention Tip | Sheyna Howard |

Safe And Health Community | crime Prevention |

Introduction

All community experience crime, violence and victimization.
This may lead to some of the following situations: community’s with high proportions of young men who are killed before they become adults; societies with families who lose a parent or have members in prison, who areliving in poverty and without access to support or legitimate sources of income; neighborhoods experiencing gang wars or where there seems to be little public protection and security; women who are subjected to violence in their homes, or who are at risk of sexual assault in public spaces; neighborhoods where levels of crime and insecurity have led businesses and families to cut themselves off fromother citizens and public life behind gates and using private security; and migrants and minority groups living in dilapidated and isolated areas or informal settlements and subject to racial harassment and victimization.

All countries strive to ensure safety and security for their citizens and to increase the quality of their lives. Countries can build safer communities using practical,concrete approaches that are very different from, and less costly than repressive and deterrent reactions and responses.

There is clear evidence that well-planned crime prevention strategies not only prevent crime and victimization, but also promote community safety and contribute to the sustainable development of countries. Effective, responsible crime prevention enhances the quality of life ofall citizens. It has long-term benefits in terms of reducing the costs associated with the formal criminal justice system, as well as other social costs that result from crime. Crime prevention offers opportunities for a humane and more cost-effective approach to the problems of crime.
Target audiences

The primary one is Governments, since, as it is for the Prevention of Crime emphasize,Governments have a key role in developing overall policies, and in promoting, coordinating and supporting crime prevention. The principles on which it is based are relevant for all countries, and all levels of government, regardless of their political or administrative structures or stage of economic development. Thus national Governments, regional governments and local governments all havesignificant opportunities and roles to play.

One of the most important aspects of investing in crime prevention policies is that they can result in significant reductions in the costs of criminal justice and other public services, and bring considerable benefits to society.

The second audience includes donors and cooperation agencies, whether national, regional or international. Crime preventionand violence reduction play an increasingly important role in the development programmed of such bodies. to determine the main components of these programmed and the technical assistance work they support.

Finally, personnel with different skills and roles in crime prevention, whether policymakers, police officers, judges and prosecutors, probation officers, social workers, health service andother practitioners, researchers, civil society organizations or communities, will all find examples, references and resources that can aid project development and implementation.
Crime prevention concepts

Crime prevention is defined as comprising:

Strategies and measures that seek to reduce the risk of crimes occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society,including fear of crime, by intervening to influence their multiple causes.

What is Crime?

A violation of the criminal law, i.e., a breach of the conduct code specifically sanctioned by the state, which through its administrative agencies prosecutes offenders and imposes and administers punishments. The concept includes unacceptable actions whether prosecuted or going unpunished.

The Crime...