NCJ Number
155274
Date Published
1993
Length
233 pages
Annotation
The Task Force on Crime Prevention in Quebec, Canada, recognized that crime prevention requires cooperation among government departments, municipalities, police forces, community agencies, and citizens and examined the extent of crime in Quebec and crime prevention strategies.
Abstract
In profiling the extent of crime in Quebec, the Task Force found that recorded crime in Quebec was significantly lower than in Canada as a whole. Property offenses committed without violence and other relatively minor offenses accounted for 90 percent of all crime. An official increase in assault was of concern to the Task Force, although this increase was at least partially attributed to a substantial rise in assault reporting. In looking at social and economic costs of crime, the Task Force determined that unrecovered money and property, damage for which no claims were made, and lost wages and insurance benefits cost $431 million a year. Police services cost nearly $1.5 billion, private security services $1 billion, court proceedings $28 million, detention of young persons $600 million, and victim assistance $28 million. The Task Force also examined socioeconomic factors associated with crime and delinquency, public perceptions of crime, and community commitment to crime prevention. Finally, the Task Force considered police crime prevention strategies, municipal and community crime prevention measures, and government and private sector roles in crime control. Examples of national and international crime prevention policies are cited, and recommendations to facilitate crime prevention in Quebec are offered. References, tables, and figures