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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:54 pm
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Results for community safety
18 results foundAuthor: Blagg, Harry Title: Models of Best Practice: Aboriginal Community Patrols in Western Australia Summary: This discussion paper explores best practice issues in relation to Aboriginal Community Patrols in Western Australia in the context of crime prevention and community safety. Aboriginal Community Patrols have become an accepted feature of localized responses to crime and anti-social behavior in many Aboriginal communities across the state, and this paper addresses a range of issues connected with the role of the patrols in crime prevention. Details: Perth: Crime Research Centre, University of Western Austraia, 2007. 60p. Source: Year: 2007 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 118085 Keywords: AboriginalsCommunity SafetyCrime PreventionPeace Officers |
Author: Cavanagh, Ben Title: A review of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for antisocial behavior Summary: This is a review of police Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs). It assesses the impact of FPNs on police procedures for dealing with antisocial behavior and the time savings with FPNs were intended to bring. It also makes recommendations for modifications to FPN procedures based on the views of police officers and others. FPNs for Antisocial Behavior were introduced in Part 11 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc (Scotland) Act 2004. They allow the police to offer fines of 40 pounds for ten offences. The research involved analyses of official data from the police, the Crown office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Court Service. It also involved an e-survey of 'front line' police officers across Scotland and a series of in-depth interviews with police officers and local authority 'community safety' managers. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research, 2009, 57p. Source: Internet Source Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117585 Keywords: Antisocial BehaviorCommunity SafetyPolicing Procedures |
Author: Grossman, Michele Title: Don't Go There: Young People's Perspectives on Community Safety and Policing Summary: This study aimed to find out what young people aged 15-19 in the Brimbank area think about community safety and about the ways in which police and young people interact on these issues. Using a mixed-method study design that collected data through a survey and focus groups, the study sought to answer the following research questions: What helps young people to feel safe? What leads to young people feeling unsafe or at risk when they are in public spaces? What do young people see as the triggers and causes of increased violence and conflict amongst groups of young people? What do young people think about police in their local area and how can relationships between young people and police be improved? How can police and young people work together in improving community safety in the Brimbank area? This project surveyed 500 young people drawn from the general population in Brimbank and engaged a further 44 young people from Sudanese and Pacific Islander backgrounds through focus group discussions, as well as 14 young people drawn from the general population in a focus group looking specifically at strategies for improved youth-police consultation mechanisms on community safety. The evidence base provided through the Don’t Go There study has emerged through detailed and rigorous elicitation and analysis of the perceptions, views and voices of young people themselves. The findings of the research report are essentially ‘data-up’ findings that have been generated through a series of questions and themes that, while they are informed by a range of concerns and interests for Victoria Police as the key stakeholder in the project, have been independently pursued in the research design and have allowed young people to speak freely and in detail about what most concerns them in relation to the main issues canvassed in the study. While the findings presented below are specific to what young people who live in the Brimbank region have said in response to the research questions and themes, the methodology used in this survey, as detailed in Chapter 7 of the report, is fully transferable and can be used to elicit the views and perspectives of young people anywhere in the state to gather similarly rich locale- or regionally-based data. Details: Melbourne: Victoria University, 2010. 204p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2010 at: http://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/mcd/pdfs/dont-go-there-study-may-2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/mcd/pdfs/dont-go-there-study-may-2010.pdf Shelf Number: 119986 Keywords: Community SafetyFear of CrimeJuvenile OffendersJuvenilesPolice-Community RelationsPublic Opinion |
Author: Hughes, Ed Title: Community Safety and Small Arms in Somaliland Summary: Between August 2008 and August 2009, data was collected and analysed across Somaliland in order to improve understanding of community safety and small arms and light weapons in Somaliland. Data has been collected from 157 communities in 32 districts and the data set includes a total of 2846 household questionnaires and 281 focus group and key informant interviews with key players in the field of community safety, such as the police, civil society organisations, the UN and traditional and religious leaders. The publication is a joint effort by DDG and the Small Arms Survey. The findings of the survey are presented in this report along with contextual interpretations of the results and information that may be of use to practitioners. For the purposes of this summary and because of the representativeness of the data sample, the results from the household survey have been generalised for the whole population and percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number to facilitate reading. Details: Copenhagen: Danish Demining Group; Geneva: Small Arms Survey, 2010. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2010 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/E-Co-Publications/SAS-DDG-2010-Somaliland.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Somalia URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/E-Co-Publications/SAS-DDG-2010-Somaliland.pdf Shelf Number: 120090 Keywords: Community SafetyGun ViolenceViolenceViolent CrimeWeapons |
Author: SQW Consulting Title: The Contribution of Nieghbourhood Management to Cleaner and Safer Neighbourhoods Summary: This report assesses the contribution the Round 1 Pathfinders made to improving community safty and environmental conditions. These areas have generally experienced an improvement in resident perceptions of community safety and environmental conditions over the period 2003-2006. This was a period when the Pathfinders were particularly active in exercising their neighbourhood management role. This report considers the evidence on whether the Pathfinders contributed to the improved safer and clearner outcomes and, if so, in what ways. Details: London: Department for Communities and Local Government, 2007. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 36: Accessed February 11, 2011 at: http://www.sqw.co.uk/nme/downloads/Research_Report_36-NM_safer_&_cleaner.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sqw.co.uk/nme/downloads/Research_Report_36-NM_safer_&_cleaner.pdf Shelf Number: 107694 Keywords: Community SafetyNeighborhood DisorderNeighborhoods and Crime (U.K.) |
Author: Morgan, Anthony Title: A model performance framework for community-based crime prevention Summary: This paper examines a series of performance measurement frameworks to assist crime prevention organisations, communities, and local governments measure, in a systematic way, the implementation of crime prevention programs. The framework will help identify problems that may impact on the programs’ effectiveness. The framework was developed in conjunction with the Western Australian Office of Crime Prevention and uses International and Australian standards of performance measurement . It reveals a number of principles in effective performance measurement such as consultative management, practical resources and technical support for communities. Details: Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 96p. Source: AIC Reports, Technical and Background Paper 40: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2012 at http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/B/D/9/%7BBD9D5686-84DE-4914-ADFC-E9F4D6C3CE36%7Dtbp040.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/B/D/9/%7BBD9D5686-84DE-4914-ADFC-E9F4D6C3CE36%7Dtbp040.pdf Shelf Number: 124134 Keywords: Community ParticipationCommunity SafetyCrime Prevention Programs (Australia) |
Author: Klofas, John M. Title: Sustainable Communities and Corrections: The Impact on Local Populations Summary: The concept of sustainable communities has provided a context for policy analysis in a wide variety of areas. It has not, however, found wide application in criminal justice. This paper will examine corrections, including imprisonment, from the perspective of community sustainability. An analysis of incarceration levels and the concentration of parolees and probationers in a northeastern city is used to examine this idea. Data reveal high concentrations of corrections populations in high crime neighborhoods. Census data also show declines in populations of young men and over all declines in parenting aged adults in the same neighborhoods. The data suggest that corrections policy and incarceration in particular has been harmful to sustainability in urban poor neighborhoods. The patterns found are inconsistent with contemporary views on desirable social structure and neighborhood efficacy. With growing interest in areas such as reentry and mass incarceration, sustainability may provide a useful context for analyses in criminal justice. Details: Rochester, NY: Center for Public Safety Initiatives, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2011. 25p. Source: Center for Public Safety Initiatives (CPSI) Working Paper #2011-01: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2011/2011-01.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2011/2011-01.pdf Shelf Number: 124201 Keywords: Community SafetyCorrectionsCriminal Justice PolicyUrban Areas |
Author: Alana LaPerle Project Services Title: Downtown Street Outreach Initiative: Final Evaluation Report Summary: In the fall of 2010, Jim Taylor, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association, and then-Deputy Chief Norm Lipinski made application to the Edmonton Police Foundation for an initiative to address safety concerns in downtown Edmonton. The proposal was for a downtown street outreach worker, provided by Boyle Street Community Services, who would work in partnership with Edmonton Police Services to “address root causes that bring some people to rely on street culture to survive” (EPF Project Application). Funding for a one year pilot project was granted and the Downtown Street Outreach Worker, Colin Inglis, “hit the streets” December 1, 2011. The worker‟s area of coverage was from 109 Street to 97 Street and from 104 Avenue to the top of the riverbank. In addition to the project funder and project partners (Edmonton Police Services, Downtown Business Association and Boyle Street Community Services), other stakeholders included community service agencies, downtown businesses, residents and people who work, shop and/or spend leisure time downtown. Details: Sherwood Park, AB: Alana LaPerle Project Services, 2011. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2012 at http://www.threesource.ca/documents/February2012/Downtown-Street-Outreach-Initiative.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.threesource.ca/documents/February2012/Downtown-Street-Outreach-Initiative.pdf Shelf Number: 124613 Keywords: Community SafetyHomelessnessIntervention ProgramsPublic Safety (Edmonton) |
Author: Beacroft, Laura Title: Community Night Patrols in the Northern Territory: Toward an Improved Performance and Reporting Framework Summary: This paper summarises the results of a project funded by the Australian Government Attorney- General’s Department’s (AGD). The project aimed to clarify the contribution of the community night patrol program in the Northern Territory (NT) to improving the community safety of Indigenous communities, and in this context, recommend an improved framework for monitoring performance and reporting. Community night patrols (also known as street patrols, night patrols, foot or barefoot patrols, mobile assistance programs and street beats) have a long history in the NT. Emerging in Tennant Creek in the late 1980s as a community initiative in the face of ‘under-policing’ and later in Yuendumu to stem the adverse contact Indigenous people were having with the criminal justice system, there are 80 patrols today funded by the AGD in the NT. With a budget of $69 million over three years (2009-2010 to 2011-2012), the AGD’s community night patrol program is the largest community night patrol program in Australia. Patrols are not defacto police, rather they are non-coercive, intervention strategies to prevent anti-social and destructive behaviours through the promotion of culturally appropriate processes… in conjunction with contemporary law enforcement measures. They have a long and continuing history of being regarded by the communities they serve as essential, and the support of key local persons and groups in the community, such as elders, women and cultural leaders, is critical to their success. However, there is limited up-to-date literature, information, data and evaluations about the operation and impact of community night patrols. This project involved four steps: • a review of the literature on community night patrols • consultation with key stakeholders and visits to patrols to conduct observations • the development of Program Logic Models, and • the development of a revised performance framework and reporting guide. The project highlighted four issues in the operating environments of patrols that needed to be considered in order to develop the performance and reporting framework: • separating the roles of community night patrols and roles of police; • responding to challenging service environments where not all essential complementary services in all communities are present and/or effective; • recruiting appropriate local staff, and retaining and training them; and • working in diverse situations in regard to governance and community cohesion. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2012. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Technical and Background Paper 47: Accessed April 9, 2012 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/C/4/3/%7BC43E61E9-5F6F-45AD-9774-80C5CA5A1DAB%7Dtbp47_001.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/C/4/3/%7BC43E61E9-5F6F-45AD-9774-80C5CA5A1DAB%7Dtbp47_001.pdf Shelf Number: 124890 Keywords: Community SafetyIndigenous CommunitiesNight PatrolsPolice PatrolStreet Patrols |
Author: Victoria. Parliament. Drugs and cRime Prevention Committee Title: Inquiry Into Locally Based Approaches to Community Safety and Crime Prevention: Final Report Summary: The recent release of crime statistics in Victoria has shown that crime against the person has increased during the last year. Crime costs the community in a variety of ways. For example, the Australian Institute of Criminology found the cost of crime in Australia in 2005 to be nearly $36 billion per year. More recently a study by Professor Russell Smyth from Monash University conservatively estimated the cost of crime in Victoria 2009-2010 to be $9.8 billion. Given these statistics it is timely that the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee has undertaken an inquiry into community safety and crime prevention. It should be noted at the outset however that this Inquiry has not been about individual crime prevention initiatives or specific areas of crime prevention such as family violence or alcohol related crime. Rather, the focus is about the processes and models through which effective crime prevention policy and programs can be developed and implemented at local level and the partnerships that can be formed to make this happen. The recommendations arising from this Report reflect this. Having said this the Committee received considerable evidence through submissions and witness testimony in Victoria and other parts of Australia that alcohol and drug misuse is one of the key drivers contributing to crime and antisocial behaviour and that accordingly measures need to be taken to address this. The Committee agrees that there is a definite place for criminal justice initiatives to deter and reduce offending and antisocial behaviours. However the concept of crime prevention cannot be narrowly circumscribed to traditional law and order approaches only. These approaches can be superficially attractive but they ignore the complex and multiple contributory factors that lead to criminal offending. Crime prevention strategies need to be based on social developmental, situational and environmental models approaches in addition to law enforcement measures. It is equally important to incorporate the concepts of community engagement, social capital and community capacity building into crime prevention policy and program implementation. Modern crime prevention and community engagement approaches are essentially about investing in safer, healthier and happier local communities. A key aspect of this Inquiry was examining local approaches to crime prevention including the role and work of Neighbourhood Watch within the community. The work of local government and community agencies therefore featured strongly throughout this Report. Much crime prevention theory and research indicates that initiatives developed and implemented at a local level are some of the best ways of reducing crime and antisocial behaviour. As most crime of immediate concern to communities is local (e.g. property crime, antisocial behaviour and alcohol related crime, vandalism etc.) then the primary focus for preventive action should also be local. As such the Committee has made recommendations to the overall structure of Community Crime Prevention in this state which will allow for greater local level and community collaboration as well as more easily facilitating input from experts. These recommendations will also provide for greater coordination across government. The Report and its recommendations address many of the complex challenges of crime prevention. The Committee is of the view that given this complexity of the task a ‘one size fits all’ approach is inappropriate in addressing the issues of crime and antisocial behaviour in Victoria. Details: Melbourne: Government Printer for State of Victoria, 2012. 376p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/dcpc/Locally_Based_Approach_Crime_Prevention/dcpc.icp.finalreport.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/dcpc/Locally_Based_Approach_Crime_Prevention/dcpc.icp.finalreport.pdf Shelf Number: 125684 Keywords: Communities and CrimeCommunity Crime PreventionCommunity ParticipationCommunity SafetyCrime (Australia)Crime Prevention |
Author: Day, Andrew Title: Programs to Improve Interpersonal Safety in Indigenous Communities: Evidence and Issues Summary: There is now a substantial amount of published literature describing the range of programs and interventions that have been implemented in an attempt to improve aspects of community safety. Only a small body of this work, however, has examined the outcomes of those programs delivered to Indigenous Australians or, indeed, the communities in which they live. This Issues paper provides an overview of those programs that were identified in a systematic search of relevant research databases. Although a wide range of programs have been described, the diversity of these programs—combined with the limited published data available that documents their outcomes—makes it difficult to articulate what constitutes effective practice in this area. It is concluded that an evidence-based approach to practice in this area is essential if the long-term aim of the Closing the Gap initiative is to be achieved. To generate this evidence, however, more attention is needed to develop evaluation methods that assess the impact of program activities on medium and longer term outcomes. In addition, information about program outcomes needs to be integrated with what is known about the mechanisms by which effective programs are delivered, as well as with knowledge about how they might be most effectively implemented in different communities. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2013. 29p. Source: Internet Resosurce: Issues paper no. 4: Accessed August 12, 2013 at: http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/2013/ctg-ip04.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aihw.gov.au/uploadedFiles/ClosingTheGap/Content/Publications/2013/ctg-ip04.pdf Shelf Number: 129627 Keywords: AboriginalsCommunity Crime PreventionCommunity SafetyIndigenous Peoples (Australia) |
Author: United Nations Development Programme Title: Community Security and Social Cohesion: Towards a UNDP Approach Summary: The dynamics of violent conflict are changing across the globe. The number of violent conflicts is decreasing, yet the level of social violence is greater than ever. Levels of violence are now higher in a number of non-conflict countries than in countries at war, and communities are facing increasing threats to their security and social cohesion. These changing trends reflect the complex and volatile nature of the root causes of violence, and highlight the importance of adopting a dynamic and multi-faceted approach to addressing these issues. Such complex challenges can no longer be met with separate, sectoral interventions. In light of these changing trends and given the need to balance institutional support with strengthening communities and their ability to resist armed violence, UNDP has prioritized community security and social cohesion as a key goal of its Strategic Plan (2008-2013). To help guide UNDP's evolving work in this area, the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) has produced this paper to provide a conceptual framework and common understanding of community security and social cohesion and to support the design and implementation of effective programmes in this area. The paper recognizes the imperative to strengthen community security and social cohesion in a multi-sectoral and cross-cutting manner, informed by a clear understanding of the drivers and causes of violence. It also highlights the importance of collaboration across the UN system so that comprehensive assessments and planning processes can lead to effective programming. The paper is the result of a substantive review of UNDP's practice in this field from 14 countries in crisis or emerging from crisis. The paper reflects extensive consultations with UNDP Country Offices, field practitioners, civil society partners, researchers and governments. Most importantly, it has been informed by lessons learnt from communities that are in crisis and those that have averted crisis. Details: Geneva, SWIT: UNDP, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, 2009. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 6, 2014 at: http://www.th.undp.org/content/dam/thailand/docs/CommSecandSocialCohesion.pdf Year: 2009 Country: International URL: http://www.th.undp.org/content/dam/thailand/docs/CommSecandSocialCohesion.pdf Shelf Number: 132902 Keywords: Communities and CrimeCommunity Crime PreventionCommunity SafetyViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Barnsley, Ken Title: Report to Salford SRB 5 Executive. Integrating and Sustaining Communities Salford's SRB 5 Final Programme Evaluation Summary: This document presents Quaternion's evaluation of the Salford SRB Round 5 Programme, Integrating and Sustaining Communities. The overall purpose of the evaluation was to look at the initial conditions of the area, covering the issues the programme set out to tackle; the schemes, objectives and strategy; an analysis of the outputs and outcomes of the programme; the process of regeneration and neighbourhood renewal; the overall achievements of the scheme and the main lessons learned that can be taken forward for future regeneration in Salford. The programme aimed to target Seedley and Langworthy and to address economic and social needs across Salford. At the time of the bid Seedley and Langworthy was a small residential area with a concentration of 3000 or so terraced houses, with significant problems of decline in the housing market, high levels of unemployment, high crime and anti-social behaviour. Other parts of inner city Salford experience similar issues in terms of high levels of unemployment, poor educational attainment and high levels of social exclusion and poverty; these areas being targets for the Social Inclusion programme. In addition to these issues there was a need to provide support to local businesses and ensure that people from deprived communities were able to benefit from job opportunities in Salford and the surrounding labour market; issues that were tackled through the Economic Development Programme. The programme had five strategic objectives and achieved most of the significant outcomes it aimed for in 1999: - Reducing unemployment and increasing business growth, improving educational attainment as the contribution to SO1: Enhancing Employment Education and Skills - There was a reduction in poverty across the City and positive impacts on communities experiencing exclusion as the contribution to SO2 Tackling Social Exclusion - The programme set about and achieved the start of sustainable regeneration in Seedley and Langworthy, introduced new methods of managing the housing stock and innovative approaches to improving the environment for SO3: Sustainable physical regeneration - It assisted in the stabilisation of the housing market in Seedley and Langworthy and helped businesses to grow and invest as part of SO4: Economic Growth - It increased the confidence to report crime and reduced both crime and the fear of crime as its contribution to SO5: Improving Community Safety In addition to making progress towards the outcomes, the programme more than achieved in terms of target outputs: with more than twice as many jobs created as set out in the bid; many more community and voluntary organisations supported; almost 250 new businesses established and thriving and many more people than anticipated benefiting from community safety initiatives. Some of the most dynamic impacts and achievements have been realised in Seedley and Langworthy and key stakeholders cited improvements to the physical fabric of the area in terms of the housing and environment and equally important, improvements in community spirit and the involvement of local people in their area. Details: Manchester, UK: QUARTERNION, 2007. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2014 at: http://www.salford.gov.uk/d/srb5-evaluation1.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.salford.gov.uk/d/srb5-evaluation1.pdf Shelf Number: 134310 Keywords: Community SafetyCrime PreventionNeighborhoods and Crime (U.K.)Socioeconomic Conditions and CrimeUrban Neighborhoods |
Author: Australia. Auditor General Title: Northern Territory night patrols Summary: . Safe and functional communities assist in addressing Indigenous disadvantage by providing an environment where individual and family wellbeing is fostered. Impediments to achieving this goal can include alcohol and substance abuse, violence (including domestic violence), youth unsupervised at night, mental health problems, property damage, and family feuds. A related community safety issue is the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system and the subsequent impact on individuals and families. These issues are inextricably linked with other social and economic factors affecting Indigenous communities. Accordingly, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) has strongly emphasised the role that safe and functional communities can play in Closing the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage, and various Australian governments have made commitments to action in this area. 2. Night patrols are community-based intervention initiatives which seek to improve personal and community safety in Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory Night Patrols Program is administered by the Attorney-Generals Department (AGD) as part of the broader Indigenous Justice Program (IJP). The IJP operates nationally and its primary objective is to reduce the numbers of Indigenous Australians coming into adverse contact with the criminal justice system. A key strategy of the IJP is to use cultural knowledge and identity in its implementation. 3. Night patrols originated in the Northern Territory as a community-generated response to improving safety by preventing anti-social behaviour within Aboriginal communities. One of the first night patrol services was established by Julalikari Council during the 1980s to patrol areas in and around Tennant Creek. These patrols were originally staffed by volunteers with the aims of resolving problems in town camps, settling disputes, and supporting and assisting local police in their dealings with the community. From these beginnings in the Northern Territory, the concept of night patrols spread to other Indigenous communities in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. Subsequently, the Australian Government established program arrangements to support the operation of night patrols across a larger number of communities. Details: Barton, ACT: Australian National Audit Office, 2011. 126p. Source: Internet Resource: Audit Report no. 32 2010-11: Accessed March 2, 2015 at: http://www.anao.gov.au/~/media/Uploads/Documents/2010%2011_report_32.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.anao.gov.au/~/media/Uploads/Documents/2010%2011_report_32.pdf Shelf Number: 134735 Keywords: Anti-Social BehaviorCommunity Crime PreventionCommunity ParticipationCommunity SafetyIndigenous Peoples (Australia)Night Patrols |
Author: Homel, Peter Title: Understanding the local government role in crime prevention Summary: In Australia, crime prevention is primarily the responsibility of state and territory governments. What is less well understood is the significant role of local government in developing and delivering crime prevention at the community level, although councils have long been involved in helping to create safer communities. This research offers one of the first detailed insights into the valuable contribution made by local government within the multi-layered crime prevention strategies and initiatives which keep Australian communities safe. The Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee of the Parliament of Victoria carried out this research as part of an investigation into locally-based approaches to community safety and crime prevention in 2011. The results of a comprehensive survey of the crime prevention activities of local government authorities across Victoria are examined. This study reveals the issues local government prioritises, the responses they deploy and the challenges that they face, such as gaps in capacity and the need to manage complex relationships between participants who work on local community safety. Findings reveal a system that, while highly variable in sophistication and reach, provides an important platform for improving local community safety. The study also identifies important gaps and opportunities to improve collaboration between government and the private and NGO sectors. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 505: Accessed August 8, 2015 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi505.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi505.pdf Shelf Number: 136364 Keywords: CollaborationCommunity ProgramsCommunity SafetyCrime PreventionPartnerships |
Author: Ogbozor, Ernest Title: Understanding the Informal Security Sector in Nigeria Summary: Informal security actors such as vigilantes play a variety of roles in African communities. Research has tended to focus on the negative impact of informal security providers, but these groups have an essential role in a community’s safety and security. This report provides an analysis of the informal security actors in the Nigerian states of Plateau, Kaduna, and Kano and in the capital city of Abuja. Summary Informal security actors such as vigilantes play a variety of roles in African communities. Research has tended to focus on the negative impacts of informal security providers, including the perpetration of human rights violations, rather than on the essential roles these groups play in a community’s safety and security. The study referenced in this report focused on Plateau, Kaduna, and Kano states in Nigeria. These states have long histories of ethnoreligious and political-related violence. A number of informal security actors are active in these states due to the high rate of violence. The study also considered Abuja because of the presence of informal security stakeholders in the nation’s capital city. In Nigeria, vigilantes have both positive and negative impacts. Abuses by vigilantes must be addressed formally and structurally while preserving the important role of vigilantes as protectors of their communities. Among the various informal security actors in Nigeria, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria is the oldest recognized actor. The group is perceived as playing an important role in providing critical policing services to Nigerians, particularly in rural communities. The roles and functions of vigilante groups include providing security, early warning alerts, and traffic control; gathering intelligence; settling disputes; and conducting community development activities. Most groups carry out security roles; some combine security functions with community development activities or enforcing religious rights. The operational structures and administrative procedures of informal security providers vary from one group to another; some groups have well-documented operational guidelines and administrative procedures, whereas others have no written operational manuals or administrative and financial systems. Most informal security providers have weak internal and external accountability systems. Internally, group leaders or village heads provide oversight of a group’s activities. External monitoring by official security agencies exists in some cases but is not formalized or enforced. Some informal policing groups have cordial relationships with formal security actors; however, there are no formal working agreements or memoranda of understanding with official security agencies. Many vigilante groups do not receive training on state laws or on how to operate as a security outfit in the country. Perceptions about the activities of informal security actors vary, but many residents within the communities interviewed prefer vigilante groups to the police. The police are often unavailable when they are needed in rural communities. Details: Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2016. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Report 391: Accessed November 10, 2016 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR391-Understanding-the-Informal-Security-Sector-in-Nigeria.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Nigeria URL: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR391-Understanding-the-Informal-Security-Sector-in-Nigeria.pdf Shelf Number: 141094 Keywords: Community SafetySecurity Vigilantes Vigilantism |
Author: Price, Megan Title: Setting the Aperture Wider: A Synthesis of Research and Policy Advice on Security Pluralism in Tunis, Nairobi and Beirut Summary: In contexts of security pluralism, an array of actors assert claims on the use of force, operating simultaneously and with varying relationships to the state. In such contexts, security providers may acquire legitimacy by proving more effective and efficient, proximate and relevant to local populations, and are often cheaper than state alternatives. Yet, plural security actors are frequently associated with human rights violations, perverse interface with the state, difficulty in providing security equitably in contexts of diversity, and an almost ineluctable tendency toward net production of insecurity over time. Donors have few policy or practical tools with which to engage meaningfully in contexts of plural security provision. Since directly engaging plural security providers would mean upsetting relationships with state partners, conferring legitimacy on groups with unpalatable goals or tactics, or tacitly endorsing violence as a path to political privilege, donors prefer to focus on official security agencies and state oversight. Plural Security Insights and its partners have developed the research project outlined here to address that dearth of relevant policy and programming advice. Comparative research was conducted in three urban contexts: Beirut, Nairobi, and Tunis. Key findings include: • Where security is highly fragmented, powerful actors are able to organise security arrangements that benefit them, and public oversight is difficult to assert. Security as a ‘public good’ cannot be assumed as an operational starting point. • Security assistance interventions in contexts of security pluralism should promote public oversight, standards of practice and divisions of labour for all providers. Supporting one type of provider inevitably privileges some groups and interests over others. • Intermediate steps between relational and rules-based arrangements for security provision may be preferable to conventional approaches that focus exclusively on building the capacity of state institutions. • Efforts to foster stronger, safer communities should pay equal attention to the social determinants of security that maintain order and foster resilience, by encouraging social cohesion, addressing exclusion and ensuring adequate public service provision. The transition from a relational to a rules-based system will require a new repertoire of security assistance strategies and methods. Actions might include: • Tackle the most pernicious aspects of security pluralism, especially exclusion and the lack of accountability, through means such as increasing civic space and strengthening mechanisms for asserting public oversight of all security providers. • Identify and invest in intermediate steps to move from relational to rules-based security systems, including SSR interventions that address the panorama of security providers, and the development of popular oversight mechanisms and functional divisions of labour amongst security providers. • Address the social determinants of security through efforts to strengthen inclusive notions of the public good, and design policies to expand access to public services that reduce citizens’ reliance on fickle, exploitive or divisive private actors. Details: The Hague: Plural Security Insights, Clingendael Conflict Research Unit, 2016. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 3, 2017 at: http://pluralsecurityinsights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160707_PSI_Policy-brief_Synthesis-Report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://pluralsecurityinsights.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/160707_PSI_Policy-brief_Synthesis-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 144433 Keywords: Citizen SecurityCommunity SafetyCrime PreventionSecurity |
Author: Kruger, Tinus Title: Making South Africa Safe: A Manual for Community-based Crime Prevention Summary: Crime and violence affect the quality of life of every South African. Reducing crime and building safer communities require the commitment of everyone and require the implementation of crime prevention initiatives at community level. Government policy and legislation urge local government to take the lead in implementing local level crime prevention programmes. This makes sense, since local government is often in the best position to do this. The key to reducing crime lies in having several organisations work together in a partnership. These efforts need to be co-ordinated and led by a committed team, and local government could play this role. A crime prevention strategy provides a useful framework to support the development and implementation of crime prevention initiatives at local level. The purpose of this manual is to support those responsible for such a strategy. It provides concise, user-friendly, practical guidance and outlines a step-by-step process to develop and implement a community-based crime prevention strategy. It is aimed primarily at local government, but others involved in community safety such as a Community Police Forum (CPF), Community Safety Forum (CSF) or other type of community organisation could also benefit from it. What is a community crime prevention strategy? - An action plan or strategy to prevent crime and violence and reduce public fear of crime. - A tool to bring together different role-players involved in crime prevention. - A means of developing local crime prevention partnerships. - A method to ensure co-ordination and management of crime prevention initiatives. - A way to identify priority areas and tasks. The manual is divided into two sections. The first provides background that would assist you in understanding the concept of crime and violence prevention, it explains what is expected in terms of the latest government policy and legislation, and what kinds of structures are needed at the local level to support a sound strategy. The second section provides you with a step-by-step guide to assist you in developing and implementing a strategy, outlining the activities involved in conducting a community safety audit, assimilating the information gathered to guide the development of a strategy, identifying priorities, developing and implementing programmes and projects and monitoring and evaluating the strategy. Details: Pretoria: The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 2016. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2019 at: https://www.csir.co.za/sites/default/files/Documents/Making%20South%20Africa%20Safe.pdf Year: 2016 Country: South Africa URL: https://www.csir.co.za/sites/default/files/Documents/Making%20South%20Africa%20Safe.pdf Shelf Number: 155036 Keywords: Community SafetyCommunity-based Crime Prevention Crime Prevention |