If you are a regular reader of the Smart on Crime blog, you will know that we like to share smart on crime ideas and actions, big and small. Well, this one is BIG! In their own words, here’s the big idea and plan of action from the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime.
“In the attempt to gather information on the role and action of local authorities in crime prevention and community safety in a systematic manner, ICPC is pleased to announce the official launch of the Global Survey on Safety in Cities.
The survey is the first of its kind and seeks to collect vital information about community safety and crime prevention in cities. It will offer the first database on safety in cities around the world, which will facilitate comparative analyses of local initiatives. The survey will also be a tool available for policy makers to reflect on existing practices to improve the quality of life of their citizens.
ICPC is convinced that prevention strategies undertaken by local authorities, particularly by cities, as well as available data on these strategies are essential to the well-being of populations.
The survey is valuable for ICPC’s work as it will be a tool for analysis for the Centre and will also be used in the upcoming International Report on the prevention of crime. Therefore, ICPC is requesting for your collaboration to answer to this survey and to distribute it to your networks.
The survey is designed to be responded by individuals who are in charge or work closely within local, municipal or city programmes on crime prevention, reduction or are in charge of public safety departments. The survey will require about twenty minutes of your time.”
You can access a web version of the survey here, or download a paper copy of the survey here. The survey is also available in multiple languages and you can find links for theme on the ICPC website.
Posted on: June 22nd, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Early this week, the U.S. Justice Department launched a new website. Crime Solutions does one simple thing – it tells me what works and what doesn’t when it comes to effective programs and initiatives in criminal justice, crime prevention and services for victims of crime.
I love their simple, and visual, rating system. It uses evidence based research to tell me whether or not a program is successful at achieving its goals. Brilliant.
If you’re a research geek like many of us in the Crime Prevention Council office, you can also dig into the methodology behind the reviews, the evaluation outcomes and the studies referenced in the process.
Smart on Crime in Waterloo Region clearly supports evidence based practice for crime prevention. In fact, we would go so far as to say that being smart on crime means we support initiatives and programs that are shown to work or have promise, and that we stop supporting initiatives and programs that don’t work.
Makes good, smart sense.
Public Safety Canada also publishes a list of Promising and Model Crime Prevention Programs. It’s always great to have access to Canadian examples and several of the projects listed in this report we are familiar with. It would be great to see some more dynamic information about the programs… the U.S Justice Department just might be leading the way on that front.
Posted on: May 20th, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Over the last 5 years, the province of Alberta (Canada) has been making and taking great strides in proactive crime prevention. Not just in theory, but in practice. Just last week, they released their Crime Prevention Framework.
“Research has shown us that reacting to crime with enforcement efforts does not result in reduction [of crime] to the levels Albertans want to see. Crime prevention through policies and programs that address the underlying factors contributing to crime is necessary if we are to make Alberta a safer place.”
“Crime prevention is a responsibility shared by individual citizens, families, neighbourhoods, municipalities, community-based service delivery agencies, the private sector, and all levels of government.”
It sounds like we’re singing from the same songbook… Here in Waterloo Region, we also have a root causes/risk factors approach to crime prevention and the belief that together, we can make our community stronger and safer.
Posted on: May 8th, 2011 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris is talking our language of ‘smart’. Okay, so maybe she’s a little bit ahead of us…. she has already written a book “Smart on Crime“, and has a state-wide Smart on Crime Transition Team to assist her with the monumental task of overhauling California’s approach to crime and crime prevention.
solutions to issues of gang violence can be learned from public health approaches
gang issues need to be addressed through with a combination of prevention, intervention and enforcement
issues must be addressed consistently across regions rather than each city working in isolation
schools and education can play a major role in reducing risk factors for youth
rely on evidence-based intervention programs to help youth exit gangs when they are ready
Here in the Region of Waterloo we also have a ‘smart’ approach to addressing the issue of youth in our community who are gang involved at risk joining a gang. inREACH is operating locally to provide youth with one-on-one support, group work, housing support, employment counselling, addictions support and recreational activities. inREACH works as a collaborative of community agencies and schools wholly invested in supporting the success of young people wanting to make a change.
As the United States struggles to deal with its over-burdened and over-flowing prison system, a great deal of evidence-based research is emerging that points toward options for reducing over-incarceration without compromising public safety and improving approaches for dealing with complex social issues.
A recent publication from the U.S. based Justice Policy Institute, “compares and contrasts the criminal justice policies and social, economic, and governmental structures of five countries – Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Finland and Germany – to the United States.”
“The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation and holds 25 percent of the world’s total imprisoned population,” said JPI executive director Tracy Velázquez. “As federal, state, and local governments are trying to make ends meet during particularly difficult economic times, they need to broadly rethink what options might be available to them. We hope this report helps policymakers re-imagine justice systems to save taxpayers money, treat people fairly and make us safer at the same time.”
This report also contains relevant information for Canada!
Just think about it… a research centre whose sole purpose is to think creatively about how the courts and justice system can better serve citizens. That’s what you’ll find in the U.S.-based Center for Court Innovation that grew out of one Manhattan community court experiment in 1993. In 18 years, the evidence for community courts has shown that engaging the community in the court system, where they live, and providing practical, proactive approaches to solving individual and community issues leads to longer and more lasting change.
The Center for Court Innovation maintains a practice of “innovation based on evidence”. And others within the U.S. justice system, at the very top levels, agree. Mary Lou Leary of the U.S. Department of Justice sees the effectiveness of community courts in 5 basic principles; they:
reduce crime by addressing root causes
streamline the justice system by providing access directly within the community
change sentencing practices of the courts by providing the system with more options than just fines and punishment
solve individual problems with unique solutions
increase public trust in the justice system
Watch this 10 minute video which highlights examples from across the U.S. My favourite part is at minute 7:15 where the Dallas Police Chief, David Brown, states, “community court is not soft on crime. It’s being smartest on crime; there’s smart, smarter and smartest. The smartest law enforcement agencies attend to the social service needs of the people who live there”.
Justice, community and civic leaders involved in community courts seem to be driven by the passion for change for people and the creative solutions to help them get there. That seems smart on crime to me: evidence-based, collaborative, cooperative, flexible and responsive and with a social change orientation.
International Women’s Day has come and gone 100 times and still, much remains to be done to address the inequitable status experienced by women and girls in all societies. Why does this matter for crime prevention?
Well, two World Health Organization (WHO) reports outline clearly that inequality can and does lead to violence: sexual violence, physical violence and emotional violence. All forms of violence are disproportionately experienced by women and girls in all countries across the world. The WHO advocates for an approach that addresses ALL aspects of violence where inequality is manifest; at home, in our communities, and finally in society at large.
The WHO reports also show that in all areas, a direct connection can be made between experiences of inequality and experiences of violence. Women and girls remain less valued, less paid, less powerful than their male counterparts. When coupled with issues of problematic substance use, easy access to weapons, differential value based on gender and a family history of abuse and neglect, the consequences are all too visible in the lives of so many.
But not all is lost. And that is what makes the WHO reports so SMART. They show, through research, that as we make changes to the inequitable status of women and girls, violence decreases. School based programmes that challenge the perceptions that girls are inferior have been shown to be particularly effective. I encourage you to read the reports and look for areas where you can strive to implement more equal practices in your places of work, the community, at home and your places of faith.
Author: Christiane Sadeler, ED, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Teens and pre-teens face daily relationship challenges. Words and actions do threaten and hurt. With all the campaigns aimed at preventing and reducing teen bullying, harassment and violence, we’ve come across a few that we like… and also seem to resonate with teens.
That’s Not Cool.com, is a website for pre-teens to learn about appropriate behaviour in dating relationships and what could be warning signs of potential relationship violence. The site offers safe ways for teens to identify and ‘call out’ behaviour that is… ‘not cool’.
ThinkB4youspeak.com challenges youth to think about the words they use in everyday language and that peers can feel victimized by pervasive use of hurtful language. ThinkB4youspeak.com has several ‘hit-it-home’ videos aimed at the use of the phrase “that’s so gay”. The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN), creators of the website, knows that changing attitudes and language used by teens is no easy task… but it’s an important education effort to prevent LGBTQ youth from being hurt, threatened, stalked or humiliated.
ThinkB4youspeak.com encourages youth to make their ‘that’s so day’ videos. Here’s one of the best.
What smart resources have you come across that help to prevent victimization among teens and youth? Add a comment below to share them with us.
Individuals with a criminal record can face significant barriers to gaining employment upon release from prison. One of the single most important factors for reducing recidivism is finding a job.This week, the Waterloo Region Record talked with Jessica Hutchison about the upcoming Employment Forum for Federally Sentenced Women. Being smart on crime means “finding good, sustainable jobs to ensure that women leaving the prison have a successful change at reintegrating into the community”.
The forum is open to community members and takes place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 7 2011. For more information or to register, contact Jessica Hutchison at jhutchison[at]regionofwaterloo.ca or 519-575-4757 ext. 5260.
While the Crime Prevention Council is all about preventing crime, we also have a commitment to reducing victimization which results from crime. The Missing Pieces report gives 44 recommendations for reducing and preventing interpersonal violence in Waterloo Region. “The Missing Pieces” report is part of the Violence Prevention Plan for the Region of Waterloo. This work of the Crime Prevention Council fall within our priority direction for Research and Inquiry.
The research findings and recommendations were developed after a series of interviews with victims and offenders of interpersonal violence and a number of community agencies who deal with the aftermath of violence.
“Many of the “missing pieces” are actually not missing at all – they are scattered throughout our community waiting to be assembled,” said John Shewchuk, Chair of the WRCPC, “This report will help Waterloo Region put in place the needed supports to help curb interpersonal violence and finally complete the puzzle.” Recommendations related to victims were made in the areas of system navigation, support to LGBTQ, sexual assault, male victims, elder abuse, screening for abuse, and domestic violence.
Recommendations related to offenders were made in the areas of offender reintegration, employment, housing, and the Partner Assault Response program. Recommendations related to both victims and offenders were made in the areas of cultural services and access to counselling.
ICPC is convinced that prevention strategies undertaken by local authorities, particularly by cities, as well as available data on these strategies are essential to the well-being of populations.
Sounds like a smart approach to me.