ICPC in Focus

Inauguration of ICPC's New Office, con't

In her presentation (see attached), Ms. DURY underlined how ICPC’s activities contribute to the co-production of community safety, and to the sustainable development of communities. She also underscored that "We now need to proceed to a new phase of existence where we could reinforce and ensure the sustainability of this tool for dialogue, knowledge exchange and action."

Minister Jacques CHAGNON emphasised the extent of ICPC’s expertise in terms of crime prevention strategies and programmes. He also stressed that the presence here in Montreal of this internationally known organisation illustrates the interest that Quebec attaches to crime prevention, and its interest at an international level.

We would also like to thank all those who traveled to Montreal to celebrate the opening with us, as well as all governments, cities, international and national organizations, academics, community based organizations, and ICPC staff that contribute to making ICPC a centre of excellence for crime prevention.

ICPC’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY COLLOQUIUM
December 1 – 2, 2004
Cité Internationale Universitaire,
17 boulevard Jourdan, Paris, France

Strategies for the Sustainable Governance of Crime Prevention.

Community safety is a key element of sustainable governance, and crime prevention policies and strategies are one of its tools. Three major trends contributing to the evolution of these policies, strategies, and programs have taken place over the past twenty years:

• The creation of governmental ‘responsibility centres’ mandated to develop policies and strategies, often with funding capacity and sometimes a research and evaluation capability. While some of these national policies and strategies have been redeveloped or completely overhauled, there remains a degree of uncertainty about the permanence and especially the funding of these national centres. Some countries have more recently created responsibility centres outside government.
  
• A focus on the local governance of community safety. Whether through contractual mechanisms in Belgium and France, partnerships in England and the Netherlands, or project funding in Canada, governmental policies have generally emphasized the need to integrate community and crime prevention in local governance structures and systems. Yet, while generally recognized, the role of cities is not always supported by the necessary devolution of powers, or tools, to ensure the sustainability of initiatives.
  
• The development of tools internationally. The UN Guidelines adopted by ECOSOC in 2002, the creation of the Safer Cities programme in UN Habitat, and the Human Security Branch in UNODC, as well the creation of the ICPC itself in 1994 and of the European Network for Crime Prevention in 2001 all testify to the will of the international community to develop tools capable of fostering and sustaining the development of effective policies, strategies and interventions. These various organisations must build synergy and become themselves sustainable.

To what extent are our policies, strategies and programmes adapted to the diversity of populations and issues? Should we rethink our approaches to community safety and crime prevention? What are some central considerations for sustainability in the next decade? And how can international cooperation contribute to integrating community safety and crime prevention as core components of sustainable governance?

The ICPC 10th anniversary colloquium will be a unique opportunity to develop shared strategic thinking about the most promising ways to foster the sustainable governance of community safety and crime prevention at local, national, and international levels.

For more information, contact: cipc@crime-prevention-intl.org

ICPC is Pleased to Announce the Arrival of its Visiting Scholar

ICPC is pleased to welcome its recent visiting scholar, Mr John Minkes, Lecturer in Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Wales Swansea .  John has experience as a probation officer and social worker and as a lecturer for the Open University and for the University of Wales Cardiff .  His research interests include youth justice, corporate crime and probation history.  John will be in Montreal, until January 2005, and will be conducting research on youth homelessness and offending.

Contact info: john 'at' crime-prevention-intl.org