Working Together for Safer and More Secure Communities. National Crime Prevention Programme

Abstract

The National Council for Crime Prevention, operating under the Ministry of Justice, deals with general issues related to the prevention of crime, the reduction of harm caused by crime, and the promotion of safety and security. The Government has appointed the current Council for a term of three years, running from 1 October 2015 to 30 September 2018. One of the priorities for the Council´s term was to draw up a national crime prevention programme.

In order to develop local crime prevention, the National Council for Crime Prevention drew up a crime prevention programme that promotes local participation entitled Working Together for Safer and More Secure Communities – National Crime Prevention Programme 2016–2020. The aim of the Programme is (1) to clarify the role of crime prevention in other municipal plans; (2) to improve crime prevention cooperation and networking with public authorities, businesses, organisations and citizens; (3) to increase crime prevention expertise at the local and national level; (4) to promote the consultation of local residents and non-governmental organisations in the planning of crime prevention measures and (5) to improve the opportunities of citizens to influence and participate in preventing crime and increasing the sense of safety and security in their communities.

The new crime prevention programme sets out measures to improve local crime prevention with a special focus on planning and implementing crime prevention work in cooperation with various crime prevention actors such as public authorities, businesses; non-governmental organisations and residents.

The measures in the Programme were prepared in nine workshops implemented in various parts of Finland and in the local crime prevention division. The National Council for Crime Prevention approved the Programme on 16 June 2016.

Updated version, published under a Government resolution on 24 November 2016