Crime prevention series

New tools, new skills

Published in:
Crime prevention for migrant communities
Kayleen M Hazlehurst
Canberra : Australian Institute of Criminology, 1990
ISBN 0 642 15514 3 ; ISSN 1031-5330
(Crime prevention series) ; pp. 9-12

There are a number of special skills, or new tools, which our community group can use to become more effective.

Planning for crime prevention

Like any development, we must plan for crime reduction and prevention. Unplanned, or badly planned action may invite negative social change. Planning must seek to maximise the likelihood of positive change and to be informed of possible negative consequences, so these can be addressed and avoided.

When developing crime prevention programs some flexibility and preparedness for adjustment should be maintained. Trying out different methods and techniques, or a change in the emphasis of concern, is a natural part of experimentation and will broaden community experience in crime prevention approaches.

Remember, in taking action, we must consider our social needs as well as our physical environment.

The working group

In order to realise our vision for crime prevention a group of people needs to be brought together. This 'working group' will be responsible for involving the community, for identifying our problems, and for putting into action solutions to these problems.

A working group is needed to make decisions, to do the work that needs to be done, and to organise community activities. It will also need to monitor the development and running of community prevention programs, and to make adjustments to them when necessary.

An essential part of the working group's responsibilities will be to communicate regularly with the community, to listen to their concerns, and to seek their input and support. Working closely with community members, and with our natural leaders or elders, is central to the successful implementation of these programs.

It is important to involve people who are young and old, male and female, and of many different backgrounds. Every member is unique and can offer different ideas, thoughts and solutions. Anyone who is willing to offer their time, and who is dedicated to the aim of crime prevention, should not be ruled out as a participant in these programs (see Appendix I, What does a working group do?).

This is a community-based project. Let the community own it.

Ten or twelve people is a good size for a working group, but programs have been started by just two or three interested people. If a lot of people are interested in joining the working group, sub-groups, or a new working party, could be set up to look at specific problems or to run specific programs.

Working groups should meet regularly. Once every two weeks or once a month might be sufficient, although more meetings may be needed at the beginning.

The teamwork approach

One of the vital new tools of a working group will be its teamwork ability. Have the working group attend a team building session with a skilled person from within the community, or with an invited trainer from outside the community. Teamwork building teaches the working group how to work together more effectively.

These sessions may include topics such as: communication skills, how groups get along, group strengths and weaknesses, how to avoid personality conflicts and power struggles, co-operation, problem identification and problem solving, action planning and crisis intervention, dispute resolution, victim support and others.

Try to create a working group with representation from all sectors of the community, or consider setting up more than one team to represent its special interests (such as an adult team, a women's team, a youth team) (see Appendix II, Training).

Each member of our community is unique and can offer different thoughts, ideas, solutions and talents.

Teamwork gives everyone a chance to make a contribution.

Brainstorming

We need to think about changing the emotional and spiritual environment in which poor health and crime arises, and about promoting an environment where a balanced and happier outlook on life is encouraged.

In the first instance a few people may get together to discuss the setting up of a crime prevention program. Brainstorming, or freely talking about problems, always helps to clarify the issues and to stimulate ideas. Workshops for interested persons could be arranged to involve more people in these discussions.

Primary prevention

Primary prevention promotes healthy lifestyle activities in the community - the kind of activities which help to build self-esteem, community spirit and positive interpersonal relations. Such programs can include sport and recreation, arts and crafts, self-discovery and new skills, and other activities which strengthen and enrich the social base and fabric of the community.

Thinking about prevention in its earliest possible stages is called 'PRIMARY PREVENTION'.

Action planning

Action planning is a vital skill of a working group. It is the planning and staging of action towards a desired goal. A well thought out plan will carry us through the rough patches of a program, particularly in the early stages as we gain our confidence. Some people are naturally good at action planning.

Inter-agency networking

The local Migrant Centre, various welfare, social or health services, youth centres, recreational clubs, schools, tertiary educational institutions, religious groups, Legal Aid Services, the police, or other professional groups may be willing to offer assistance with program ideas and information.

Service agencies are a valuable resource. Some working groups invite agency representatives to join their working group, others simply invite them to come and address the group or to give advice. Networking with, and inviting the input of, service agencies helps our working group to be more informed and to develop better programs for the community.

Local media outlets are also effective tools for bringing people together and for distributing information for crime prevention.

Having other groups to talk with helps us to persevere. In time we will develop local expertise and may be able to assist other community groups set up crime prevention programs (see Appendix III, 'Service agencies and community resources).

Networking with other agencies, sharing information and encouraging crime prevention in other communities, can be enriching and supportive to our local efforts.

Monitoring and evaluation

It is important for the working group to check up on, or to monitor, its own programs and to weigh up how successfiil these have been - to evaluate these programs. This includes encouraging community input and support; maintaining and strengthening communication with the whole community; and evaluating programs to make sure they are meeting the community's vision for its future.

At least once a year, and perhaps even every six months, a working group should examine, and seek community feedback, on their projects. Questions to be asked include:

• What were the objectives of the program?
• What were the results of the project-what effect did it have on the identified problem?
• Did it have any unexpected results? Were these good or bad?
• How were the results achieved? (Was it by the methods and techniques originally intended, or did these evolve with implementation?)
• Was there an effective use of community resources?
• Should our objective or methods be changed?

We can learn from our failures as well as our successes.