International Report on Crime Prevention and Community Safety and

International Compendium of Practices to Inspire Action Across the World

Presented at the Meeting on the Prevention of Crime and Violence:

Committee on Hemispheric SecurityOf the Organization of American States (OAS)

February 5th, 2009Washington, D.C.

Laura Capobianco, Senior Analyst and Project Manager,

International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) Email: lcapo@crime-prevention-intl.org

About ICPC (1)

An international network of governments, NGOs and UN organisations promoting safety. The Centre is trilingual (English, French, Spanish).

Created in 1994 by the governments of Canada, France and Quebec, now 11 member governments: Argentina, Australia, Chile, Hungary, Norway, South Africa, the State of Queretaro (Mexico), and El Salvador.

Also ICPC members include 30 institutes specialized in crime prevention.

About ICPC (2)

An international observatory, a centre of expertise, and a tool for technical assistance

Some recent examples of activities:o Key for Safer Municipalities Toolkit (a partnership with IDB)o Police Modules: International Learning’s on the Go o Organization of upcoming international workshops: Community

Safety and Indigenous Peoples, Ottawa, Canada (March 10th, 2009)

o Mission in Haiti (Mobilizing Local Actors in Prevention, Crime Observatory, in partnership with UNDP)

The International Report in Brief

An analytical tool of prevention strategies, a marker for emerging challenges, an instrument to disseminate relevant policies and practices.

Divided into two parts:

– Crime trends (thematic analysis on youth safety, women’s safety, school safety, and management of safer public spaces and large sporting events (crimes of everyday life)

– Trends and Developments in Crime Prevention: Preventive responses to the above issues.

The Compendium in Brief

Includes 65 projects or strategies from 30 countries - what communities can do to prevent and respond to crime challenges.

Provides a source of inspiration of ideas, and reconfirms the value of processes in relation to strategic and effective crime prevention.

Divided into Five Main Thematic Sections: Aspects of Community Safety, Youth at Risk, Youth Gangs,

Community Safety and Indigenous Peoples, Police - Community Partnerships in Crime Prevention.

Who Do they Address?

Decision-makers in different jurisdictions: cities, regions and countries

Specialized practitioners, non governmental organizations, and members of civil society engaged in crime prevention

International organizations, United Nations’ agencies and affiliated, development banks and donors

Researchers specialized in crime prevention

ICPC’s Report and accompanying Compendium illustrate a spectrum of expertise

Some Main Conclusions (1)......

1. Crime Prevention is now guided by international standards, is evolving and becoming more widespread.

UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime ( ECOSOC 2002/12)

Principles for effective crime prevention:1. Enhance the rule of law2. Serve socio economic development and inclusion3. Evidence and not ideology should drive prevention4. Should be community centered5. Governments, civic and business communities should establish and foster partnerships among themselves6. Should be developed and promoted on the basis of

sustainability and accountability, through information sharing and community involvement (UNODC in ICPC 2008, p.134)

Some Main Conclusions (1)......

…in 2006, 42 countries completed the UN questionnaire of the implementation of the UN Guidelines on Crime Prevention

Throughout the world, an increasing number of countries are developing ambitious crime prevention strategies and action plans.

Some Main Conclusions (2)...... 2. Prevention is effective when it takes place at the local level

and uses a comprehensive strategy involving diverse partners (Some examples: San Romanoway Association (SRA), Toronto, Salto Model, Norway, City of Diadema, Brazil, iTrump Warwick Junction Project, eThekwini municipality, South Africa)

......A greater recognition, that crime prevention must be tailored to context and needs, and involve a more nuanced understanding of partnership building and its challenges.

Communities in Action for SafetyThe 10 year experience of the SRA highlights some important elements:

A tool to understand community strengths, identify challenges related to risk factors, monitor progress, and assess impact.

Support allocated by both public and private partners towards a comprehensive approach (Situational measures, social development, capacity building and reducing recidivism)

The importance of a structure/mechanism to ensure sustainability The private sector can contribute to a local crime prevention

initiative beyond security provision and help open doors to additional support.

Communities in Action for SafetyThe experience of iTrump Warwick Junction Renewal Project highlights some important lessons and challenges:

Institutional embedding within local government (health, economic development, solid waste, traffic authority, parks, housing) to help sustain action

Value of a participatory planning approach Several measures in place by the operation team with implications

for crime prevention (environmental design, conflict resolution, Safer cities, etc.)

Challenges Managing competing time lines Vision maintenance throughout the process

Some Main Conclusions (3)

3. Capacity building measures must be supported to help sustain effective crime prevention initiatives

Some Examples: Safety Audits

Crime Observatories

Consultation and Participatory Approaches

This first analysis ……. Has confirmed the need to strengthen knowledge about crime

prevention with greater dissemination and exchange.

Is a work in progress which will benefit communities throughout the world.

The forthcoming International Report (2010) will:

Be presented at the 12th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Brazil, April 12-19, 2010

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!