First Discussion Document – ‘Crime Prevention and Community Safety’
The discussion document "Crime Prevention and Community Safety" is the first in a series of discussion documents to be published in producing a White Paper on Crime. The document is available in PDF format or as html from the link below. Hard copies are available on request.
White Paper on Crime Discussion Document No.1 - July 2009
Each document will include a general overview of the issue in question, together with a number of questions to assist in shaping public discussion and feedback.
The document "Crime Prevention and Community Safety" takes as its starting point the existence of crime and its impact on the quality of life of individuals and society as a whole. It focuses mainly on ‘high volume’ or ‘street’ crimes of burglary, theft, physical assault and public order offences. It considers the strategies in place in Ireland to prevent crime and their effectiveness and asks:
- How well are existing crime prevention measures working?
- What scope is there for further development?
Approaches to Crime Prevention
Approaches to crime prevention are looked at under the following headings:
(i) Reducing opportunities for crime and making it harder for crimes to be committed;
(ii) Using locally based partnerships to reduce crime in communities;
(iii) Working with those most at risk of becoming involved in crime to prevent first-time criminality;
(iv) Working to reduce the likelihood of re-offending among those found guilty of offences.
Questions raised in the document include
- What do you think has worked best to prevent or to reduce crime in your neighbourhood ? What other things can be done and how can we ensure that they are effective?
- In your experience, how is information on local crime prevention/reduction measures and successes communicated?
- How can links between An Garda Síochána and local communities be improved?
- What part should communities play in considering aspects of their local living environment and their effect on law and order?
- How could existing crime prevention measures be better targeted to get the best possible results and to improve the use of limited resources?
- What structures should coordinate crime prevention activity and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives?
- How could parents be encouraged, helped or made responsible when it comes to tackling criminal or anti-social behaviour by their children?
- How could community-based sentences be developed in your area?
- How can ex-prisoners successfully reintegrate into society? In a contracting labour market are there any particular measures which might help ex-offenders to get a job and keep them from offending again?
Consultations on the Discussion Document comprising public advertisements for written comments and a series of regional consultation meetings concluded in December 2009. Reports on the outcome of these consultations, one on the regional meetings and one summarising written submissions were published in January 2010. These documents are available in PDF format or as html from the links below. Hard copies are available on request.
Overview of the White Paper on Crime Process
Second Discussion Document - 'Criminal Sanctions'
Second Discussion Document - 'Criminal Sanctions' - Summary of Consultation Outcomes
Third Discussion Document - 'Organised and White Collar Crime'
Third Discussion Document - 'Organised and White Collar Crime' - Summary of Consultation Outcomes
Fourth Discussion Document – 'The Community and the Criminal Justice System'
Summary of Consultation Outcomes – "Older Citizens and the Issue of Crime"