Crime prevention and community security are clearly law enforcement concerns—but they cannot be achieved by policing alone. Evidence-based research conducted in the United States and other countries has demonstrated the value of more comprehensive violence prevention initiatives.

A comprehensive approach to crime prevention at the municipal level is an effective way to develop sustainable communities and reduce crime rates. Even in countries where policing is centralized at the national level, strong partnerships led by local governments and incorporating law enforcement agencies and communities can be at the core of reducing urban crime and violence.

Some of the evidence that violence prevention programs have had their greatest impact at the municipal/city level comes from the United States and from Latin America. The examples of Boston and New York are well known; in Latin America the Colombians are considered pioneers, with the cities of Bogotá, Medellin, and Cali all implementing holistic programs that have led to remarkable decreases in rates of crime and violence.

Components of a Comprehensive Approach

A comprehensive approach, by definition, balances elements of prevention, rehabilitation, and law enforcement. It requires effective integration among a variety of sectors (i.e., health, education, justice, and the private sector) at multiple levels (i.e., community, municipal, state, national, regional). Local governments have a unique role in providing the necessary leadership, vision, and coordination mechanisms to engage municipal authorities, the police, and civil society.

A comprehensive approach aims to reduce levels of crime and violence not simply through law enforcement but rather through the creation of sustainable and safe communities. This is accomplished through improvement of a multitude of conditions that local governments have the authority to improve through their policies and services. Local governments can target and mitigate the root causes of crime at the community level by improving the design, regulation, and use of public spaces (libraries, parks, community centers, etc.) and providing programs and services to support vulnerable populations, particularly youth.

In countries where the police function is local, community policing is an important component of this approach, as it integrates law enforcement agencies within the service mission of local government. In that context, policing is considered a service to the community, maintaining the balance between reactive responses to calls for service and proactive problem-solving centered on the causes of crime and disorder.(1) Police forces become more sensitive to community problems that can create an environment that fosters crime (e.g., poor street lighting, lack of after-school activities for youth, unappealing public spaces), and work in partnership with the local government and the community to devise solutions.

Challenges

A number of factors may hinder the development of community-based approaches, depending on political, social, and structural traditions in individual countries and regions:

• Where policing is centralized at a national level, municipal authorities may not recognize their potential to initiate or support violence prevention initiatives or may lack the political will to undertake them.
• Where crime is widespread, the challenge of prevention may seem too daunting to tackle.
• Where police are perceived to be (or have proven to be) corrupt, citizens may distrust the police as an institution.
• Similarly, citizens may distrust government in general and decline to participate in civic activities.
• Change per se may be perceived as threatening when a community is challenged by economic, social, political, or other problems.

Successful Application

Fortunately, there are models in the United States that provide important lessons and insights into comprehensive municipal-based crime and violence prevention. One such model is the California City Gang Prevention Network, supported by the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families of the National League of Cities. It highlights five key elements:

• The need for local governments and police chiefs to lead together
• The integration of law enforcement and social services
• The development of comprehensive citywide strategies
• Accountability and tracking of results
• The design of strategies to get close to young people in the communities.(2)

Successful models can be shared and adapted from country to country, bolstered by information sharing networks and exchanges, training, technical assistance, and other means of disseminating best practices.

Notes
1. What is Community Policing? Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. www.cops.usdoj.gov/default.asp?Item=36 (accessed January 2010).
2. For more details on the California City Gang Prevention Network, see http://www.nlc.org/Newsroom/press_room/11896.aspx (accessed January 2010).