Summary
“Over the past decade, crime prevention thinking, policies and practices in Canada haveevolved to encompass a wide range of policies, strategies and actions that are designed toimprove community and personal security for Canadians. The exchange of ideas, perspectives and ways to prevent crime and victimization is vital to the development of innovative and effective crime prevention approaches. Equally vital is the importance of taking the time to reflect on what has been learned about effective ways of preventing crime and victimization and how practices can be improved. The exchange of information, periods of reflection and refinement are never-ending tasks because communities are places of constant change, the factors that contribute to crime and victimization so complex, the players who have a role to play in crime prevention so varied, the practical challenges of implementation at the community level so wide-ranging, and finding the right tools and capacity to document the results of crime prevention activity so challenging. This Compendium is designed to provide an overview of key strategies, practices, resources and tools that are supported via federal, provincial and territorial crime prevention initiatives across Canada. It includes primarily crime prevention through social development (CPSD), with a focus on efforts that build community relationships and partnerships. Readers should bear in mind that this document was designed as a cross-country compendium to showcase a range of activities and not as an inventory of all activities within each jurisdiction. While by no means an exhaustive document, this Compendium can be a starting point for acquiring a good sense of the direction, depth, scope and promise of crime prevention to reduce crime and victimization in Canada.”—Page 1.