Global Report on Human Settlements 2007 - PoA-ISS

Urban crime and violence: Policy responses
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governments, and in the US, particularly since the events of
11 September 2001, the federal government has played a
leading role in addressing the threat of terrorist attacks.
Interestingly, much of the work undertaken under this
banner seems to have come from the stable of CPTED and so
it can be argued that the national thrust to address the threat
of terror has advanced the cause of CPTED in the US further
and faster than had a series of more localized initiatives
during the last couple of decades. 15
■ Example from Jamaica
The third example of the role of national governments in
addressing urban crime and violence is taken from a developing
country – Jamaica. Since Jamaica became independent in
1962, it has experienced significant growth in violent
crimes. For instance, murder rates rose from 8.1 per
100,000 people in 1970 to 40 per 100,000 in 2002, and 64
per 100,000 in 2005, making Jamaica one of the nations
with the highest murder rates in the world. 20
In response to escalating levels of violent crimes, the
Ministry of National Security embarked on a major process
of developing the necessary law enforcement infrastructure
required to tackle the problem of crime and violence. A
multilevel approach is being used that involves new crime
fighting initiatives, legislative reform, modernization of the
police, and social intervention programmes at the community
level. For instance, modernization of police services
includes improving the professional standards of the police;
improving their investigative capacity, specifically using an
intelligence approach to operations; introduction of new
technology; and utilization of personnel from overseas. The
latter has entailed forging links with Scotland Yard, UK, in
which training is provided for members of the Jamaica
Constabulary Force. This is in addition to seconding highranking
police officers from Scotland Yard to work with their
local counterparts in Jamaica.
In 2004, the Jamaica Constabulary Force launched
Operation Kingfish as a major anti-crime initiative. The
purpose of the operation was to dismantle criminal
networks within Jamaica and to disrupt illegal trafficking of
drugs and firearms throughout the central and western
Caribbean, with the assistance of international partners. In
this regard, Operation Kingfish can be considered a partnership
between the Jamaica Constabulary Force and
international police agencies. The operation has targeted
gangs, crime bosses, extortion rackets and narcotics trafficking.
One major accomplishment of Operation Kingfish has
been the dismantling of gangs within the Kingston corporate
area. The initiative has also led to the recovery of
numerous illegal firearms and equipment used in the illicit
drug trade. The first major drug bust of Operation Kingfish
came in 2004 when American law enforcement agents,
assisted by Jamaica and British counterparts, intercepted
cocaine valued at Jamaican $4 billion (US$59 million)
destined for Jamaica. 21
The envisaged changes in the crime fighting initiatives
of the Jamaica Constabulary Force are meant to work in
tandem with other initiatives, such as community-based
policing and several social and crime prevention initiatives
Box 4.3 Getting the English planning system to engage
with crime prevention
• 1994: UK Department of the Environment (DoE) Circular 5/94 16 encouraged planners to
consult with police architectural liaison officers.
• 1998: Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act placed a statutory duty on local planning
authorities to take account of crime prevention issues in their work.
• 2000: The Urban Policy White Paper 17 undertook to review Circular 5/94 and to make
crime prevention a key objective for planning.
• 2004: The new national guidance on planning for crime prevention, 18 to replace Circular
5/94, was published.
• 2005: Planning Policy Statement 1, 19 the government’s statement about the main purposes
and responsibilities of the planning system described the primary task of planning as the
delivery of sustainable development and saw safety as one of the key characteristics of a
sustainable community.
implemented by the Ministry of National Security. These
initiatives – specifically the Citizens Security and Justice
Programme (CSJP) and the Community Security Initiative
(CSI) operate predominantly within the Kingston
Metropolitan Area. The former is funded through a partnership
between the Government of Jamaica and the
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the latter by
the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
These programmes were initiated to enhance community
safety and security. The CSI was established to ensure
efficient and effective ‘joined-up action’ between existing
programmes on improving security and safety, reducing
poverty and strengthening social development. CSJP
operates in 15 violence-prone communities in Kingston and
has been instrumental in providing support to residents and
developing legitimate community leadership and structures.
Before moving away from the roles of national governments,
it is important to note that over and above specific
initiatives, the ongoing work of national governments has a
huge impact on crime and violence in urban areas and how
these problems are tackled. 22 Three examples that relate to
themes introduced in Chapter 3 are given to emphasize this
point.
First, national governments often have a major role to
play in providing policy, legal and financial frameworks for
the work of local authorities, and so the ability of local
authorities to address problems of crime and violence in
their localities can be very heavily influenced by these
factors. In particular, national governments often encourage
local authorities and other bodies to do more in particular
areas of concern by providing funding and other types of
resources for these purposes. An example of this is the work
of the National Crime Prevention Centre in Canada, which
supports crime prevention activities through three funding
programmes: the Crime Prevention Action Fund; the
Policing, Corrections and Communities Fund; and the
Research and Knowledge Development Fund. 23 It should be
noted that some governments are active not just in providing
funding internally, but also in providing funding for such
projects in other countries.
Second, national governments often have a major role
to play in relation to military, security and police forces in
In the US,
particularly since
the events of
11 September 2001,
the federal
government has
played a leading role
in addressing the
threat of terrorist
attacks