Issue

During the current federal election, there is much talk of solutions to crime through government action that seems
simple and easy, but is about to cost billions of tax dollars in prison construction. Yet crime is a complex, social issue
with its roots in the community. However, crime control in Canada has traditionally been delegated to those with
government power. This costs taxpayers over $13 billion annually, for police, corrections and other criminal justice
services. $3 billion goes directly to corrections, mainly for prisons, though these have been shown to give the least value
for money.

Punitive methods of crime control succeed at punishing those who commit crime. But without supportive programs that
address the causes of criminal behavior, incarceration does little to reduce re-offending or prevent future criminal
activity within our communities. Essentially, punishment fails to address the root causes of crime, while adding
unintended harms that actually increase them.

Members of the community have a unique capability that the government lacks. They are able to identify very specific
problems and develop solutions that are relevant to the needs of their own residents. The community is therefore vital
to the successful identification of the social, economic, cultural, and family conditions that breed crime, as well as the
recommendations, implementation, and evaluation of issue-specific interventions that address these root causes.

Background

Community crime prevention programs are founded on the simple premise that residents can and should play a critical
role in preventing crime in their community. Prevention programs that are most successful have the following
characteristics:

• People in the community get involved;

• The police collaborate with the people;
• Local citizens make the decisions and take the action for prevention based on what is proven to work; and
• They make improvements around the neighborhood.

The following are examples of community projects that have proven to be effective in reducing crime and improving the
quality of life for residents:

San Romanoway Revitalization Project, Toronto (SRA)

San Romanoway is a community located in downtown Toronto, Jane-Finch region. In 2000, a community crime profile
concluded the area to have extraordinarily high rates of youth unemployment, youth crime and gang-related activity.
Funding from the government and private corporations allowed the SRA to implement programs such as summer day
camps, mentoring for youth, a computer lab with internet access, and a $75,000 playground.
• Recently the SRA received funding to develop the ‘Positive Alternative to Youth Gangs’ project which will work to
reduce the presence of gang related activity and provide support to high-risk youth.
• The results? An overall decrease of 49.9% in violent victimization from 2002 to 2006. There have also been
significant reductions in violent and property crime, an increased sense of safety, and greater daily resident interaction
and communication.

West Broadway Community Alliance, Winnipeg

West Broadway is a community that has mobilized since 1997 to deal with issues of safety and housing. It consists of
50 or more groups and individuals that love their community and want to be long time residents. Rather than fleeing,

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these members are intentional about making West Broadway a good place in which to live. They work collectively at
finding sustainable solutions, to poverty, homelessness, discrimination and addictions, that will make West Broadway
a place where its residents are proud of their community and have a sense of ownership in its everyday life.
• New endeavours have mushroomed in the area: a job resource center that encourages businesses to ‘hire locally’; a
Child Care infant center; the ‘Good Food Club’ which strives to make healthy and affordable food available to residents
with what is grown through a community co-op; a community kitchen to help people make ends meet before the next
payday; an after-school program for refugee students; community gardens, parks and neighbourhood clean-up; a
‘family place’ that serves as a drop-in, with laundry and clothing depot, medical services and sharing circles about
relationship issues; a community newspaper where the reporters and storytellers live in the area.
• One of the most successful projects has been the improvement of local housing which has provided housing options
for low to moderate income families and individuals living in West Broadway.
• The results? In 2005, 81% of West Broadway residents reported feeling that their neighbourhood had become safer
in the past few years. Crime rates have decreased, as have the incidents of vandalism. More people feel comfortable
walking in their community and there have been visible, positive changes in the development of cleaner, better
housing.

Implications

When local citizens start taking action to demand services and results, crime is reduced and the whole community
experiences greater vitality, wealth and wellness. This is proving to be more cost-effective than the traditional
measure of sending people to prison as the most common method of crime control. Encouraging the social
development of children, youth, and families reduces delinquent behavior with cost benefit ratios of $1.06 to $7.45 for
every $1 DOLLAR spent on prevention. Not only is this much better value for money in reducing crime: whole
communities feel safer for all those who live there. And that’s priceless!

Bernburg and Krohn 2003; De Li 1999; Sweeten 2006; Bernburg and Krohn 2003; Thornberry, Moore and Christenson 1985; Travis,
Solomon and Waul 2001 – quoted in Rosenbaum, Police Innovation Post 1980: Assessing Effectiveness and Equity Concerns in the
Information Technology Era, in IPC Review, v.1, March 2007, Learning from the Past –Planning for the Future, ed. Ross Hastings, Melanie
Bania, p.29.;

Golash, Deirdre “The case Against Punishment: Retribution, Crime prevention, and the Law, NYU Press (2005).
Matrix Knowledge Group. (2007) “The Economic Case For and Against Prison,” United Kingdom.

National Victims of Crime Awareness Week Fact Sheets: Cost of Crime in Canada,” (2003), 20 Mar. 2008
http://www.victimsweek.gc.ca/archives_2006/fact-sheets/.p3.html

Neighborhoods Alive! Community Outcomes Final Report (2005).

http://www.gov.mb.ca/ia/programs/neighbourhoods/_pdfs/na!_evaluation_2005.pdf

Public Safety Canada. (2007) “Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview, Annual Report,” (Ottawa: Public Works and
Government Services Canada)

Rigakos, G.S. “The San Romanoway Community Revitalization Project,” (2006), 3 Mar. 2008
http://www.srra.ca/test/pdfs/Final_Report.pdf

Sansfaçon D. & Welsh, B. “Crime Prevention Digest II: Comparative Analysis of Successful Community Safety,” International Center for the
Prevention of Crime. (1999) 3 Mar. 2008
http://www.crime-prevention-intl.org/publications/pub_13_1.pdf

Shaw, M. “Communities in Action for Crime Prevention,” International Center for the Prevention of Crime, (2006) 3 Mar.2008
http://www.crime-prevention-intl.org/publications/pub_174_1.pdf

Urban Myths: Think you know Winnipeg? West Broadway. CBC Manitoba. (2005).
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/urbanmyths/westbroadway.html

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