This very innovative Local Crime Prevention Toolkit has just been developed in South Africa. It is in response to a growing demand at local government level for tools to support the implementation of effective crime prevention strategies. It aims to help local stakeholders identify the right functionaries to involve in the process - and to assist in the process itself - with a step-by-step guide to establishing and maintaining local crime preve
ntion partnerships. It is very attractive, fun and user friendly – and comes in a large tin box complete with a magnetic board and magnets representing key local institutions, a jig-saw puzzle, guidance booklets and resource materials on a range of local prevention issues, and a series of templates for strategic planning, project planning, communications and monitoring. These are available on CD for users to adapt and apply to their own local conditions and needs. There are also tools for crime mapping and the mobilization of sectors such as schools.
Ongoing development will see it expand this year to incorporate a tool for integrated budgeting, and a more detailed safety audit at the local level. The toolkit is a partnership initiative led by the CSIR Crime Prevention Centre with the NGO UMAC, the South African Police Service and Business Against Crime.
For more information contact Barbara Holtmann at the CSIR Crime Prevention Centre, Pretoria South Africa:
bholtmann@csir.co.za 
