Neighborhood control as a crime prevention strategy

• In Event: POL Panel 23. Police partnerships and collaboration

Abstract

Neighborhood control constitutes one of the fundamental elements of modern urban crime prevention strategies. In fact, participatory security is what specialists in the field have found to be the most effective model of predatory crime prevention. This system, which originated in the Anglo-Saxon world but was imported and adapted several years ago in Italy by the author of this article, tends to increase social solidarity to foster the exchange of information among citizens about possible risk elements and to teach citizens how to make qualified reports to law enforcement agencies. Obviously, this system must be implemented without improvisation, possibly following the guidelines of qualified industry associations, which in Italy are mainly ANCDV (National Neighborhood Watch Association) and INWA (Italian Neighborhood Watch Association). This paper focuses on the need to be able to objectively assess the quality in the implementation of a neighborhood control project (even over time) in order to suggest possible corrective measures. Therefore, a tool (an evaluative grid) for analyzing neighborhood watch activities is described in this paper, and this tool is especially useful to the promoters and coordinators of such activities who can thereby identify critical issues and make effective corrections.

Author

• Francesco Caccetta, Arma dei Carabinieri