NCJ Number
82456
Date Published
1980
Length
46 pages
Annotation
Recommendations are presented from the 1980 Cranfield Conference dealing with strategies of crime prevention in Europe. Delegates represented 13 countries.
Abstract
The central conference's purpose was to present and assess strategies and projects of crime prevention for European countries. Particular emphases were (1) deployment of police resources toward increased local contact with the public, (2) cooperation between those statutory and voluntary agencies whose work relates to crime prevention, and (3) association of the resources of relevant agencies with those of local communities. Discussions and recommendations are presented from study groups that considered the following topics: the public as preventers and detectors of crime, the balance between reaction and prevention in police strategy, social planning for crime prevention, the 'patch' (reduction in the size of law enforcement jurisdictions) as a focus for crime prevention, the problems and possibilities of interagency collaboration, and strategies to counter terrorism. Participants generally accepted that crime prevention is an essential aspect of the police function. Differences of opinion centered on the proper balance between police preventive and reactive activities. Recommendations focused on the value of police-community interaction, the planning of strategies in relation to community circumstances and needs, the vital role of neighborhood police in framing police policy and practice, and community involvement in the evaluation of police strategies.