Early this year, two Panamanian cities took major steps toward promoting the role of local government in coordinating crime and violence prevention activities by forming municipal violence prevention committees.

The cities, Colón and San Miguelito, are participants in ICMA’s Municipal Partnerships for Violence Prevention in Central America program, known by its Spanish acronym, AMUPREV, and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In November 2010, municipal and public safety officials from the two cities visited Pinellas County, Florida, for a week-long exchange of ideas and practices centered on the crime prevention activities of the county and the county sheriff’s department.

The committees, formed in January, include representatives from local government, national government, police, community and youth organizations, and the private sector. Their formation was supported by AMUPREV as well as by the Alcance Positivo program, financed by USAID/Panama. ICMA is involved in Alcance Positivo as a subcontractor to Creative Associates, Inc.

At the committee formation meetings, officers were selected to take the lead in enabling the different sectors and institutions to prioritize and coordinate activities that can have an impact on crime and violence and to reduce duplication of efforts. The visit to Pinellas County showcased the benefits of this kind of collaboration and demonstrated how coordination among sectors can assist police and communities in carrying out crime prevention efforts.

Each committee is led by the mayor, Damasco García of Colón and Héctor V Carrasquilla of San Miguelito. The committees are preparing work plans with assistance from the Alcance Positivo program. From March 21-25, police officers from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office will travel to Panama under the AMUPREV program to visit the offices of the Panamanian National Police and the Child and Adolescent Police Units of Colón and San Miguelito as well as at-risk communities in both cities. During the visit they will conduct training for members of the municipal committees and other stakeholders in the principles and practices of community-oriented policing.

To learn more, visit the Panama area of the ICMA International website and the “International Development” topic area of the Knowledge Network, or contact international@icma.org.