CHAPTER I
CRIME PREvENTION: AN INTRODUCTION
21
Asareturnonthemoneyinvested,preventionprogrammesnotonlyreduceexpendi-
tureonthecriminaljusticesector,butalsoonsocialserviceinterventions.Theyalso
bringothersocialandeconomicbenefits,suchasincreasedearnedincomeorlower
health costs, as the example given in box 2 indicates.
Box 2 . The Child-Parent Centre
The Child-Parent Centre Program in Chicago, United States of America, began provid-
ing pre-school and educational and family support services to disadvantaged families in
1967. This included pre-school programmes and parenting support. The children were
followed up for a number of years and their progress was compared with a control
group of children from similar backgrounds. By the time they reached their twenties,
the Centre children were less likely to have been arrested and more likely to have
completed school and got jobs than their peers.
The programme cost an average of $6,730 per child per year, but showed that the
benefits in savings amounted to $47,759--or $7 of savings per child or family. This
included increased lifetime earnings, savings on the justice system, victim services and
special education.
Source: Irvin waller, Less Law, More Order: The Truth about Reducing Crime (westport, Connecticut, Praeger,
2006), p. 24 ff.
AllofthesefactorshelptodemonstratethebenefitsforGovernmentsofworkingin
a collective way. Thus, national Governments that develop a national strategy on
crime prevention through a multisector partnership across ministries can help to
facilitate and support the development of strategic and planned responses at the
subregional level, and with local governments and civil society.
Local governments are in the best position to understand their own needs and
strengths, as well as citizens' concerns. Working in partnership with local service
sectors, citizens and stakeholders can be a difficult process, but such partnerships
arelikelytobemoreeffectivethanimposingastrategy.TheGuidelinesforCoopera-
tionandTechnicalAssistanceintheFieldofUrbanCrimePreventionplaceparticular
emphasis on the importance of a local approach to crime.
Itisnotjustnationalorlocalauthoritiesandservicesectors,however,thatcanhelp
to prevent crime; the role of local communities is crucial. The involvement and
cooperation of local civil society demonstrates that government action alone cannot
succeed in creating healthy and safe communities. Governments need to work in
partnership with communities and civil society organizations.
Contemporarycrimepreventionisthereforeastrategicprocessandmethodologyfor
respondingtocrimeandsafetyissues.Itrecognizesthatcrimeaffectspeopleintheir
dailylives,atthelocallevel,andisamajorfactoraffectingthequalityoftheirlives.