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Solin, 12 April 2012

City officials, police see crime prevention as key to urban security

Community participation urged at international conference in Solin

Investing in crime prevention is far less expensive than dealing with the consequences of crime, experts agreed at "Adriatic City Security," the fourth annual conference on city security hosted by Croatia. Held in the coastal city of Solin on 12-13 April 2012, the conference was organized by Zaštita magazine and the City of Solin, under the auspices of the Croatian Government and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with support from the Croatian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the City of Split, Split-Dalmatia County, the National Protection and Rescue Directorate and the Croatian Association of Security Managers. The conference was attended by more than a hundred participants from nine European countries.
"Security is a precondition for the smooth functioning of cities," said Evelin Tonković, Croatian Deputy Minister of Interior. "This can be achieved by implementing prevention, and not exclusively by repression and politics of penalties." Tonković noted that an improved perception of safety and security meant a better quality of life in cities, which in turn could help attract young families to put down roots. He cited as an example the host city of Solin, which has managed to reverse the negative demographic trends prevalent elsewhere in Croatia. New research by Zaštita magazine ranks Solin as the second safest city in Croatia. Tonković also stressed the importance of engaging the entire community in security.

Jadran Perinić, the Head of National Protection and Rescue Directorate (DUZS), addressed the threats posed by natural and manmade disasters in urban situations. He warned of a "domino effect" that can follow catastrophes and result in a rise in crime in cities. To pre-empt such risks, Perinić emphasized the importance of working on crime prevention.

Louisa Vinton, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident RepresentativeOne of the main themes of the conference was the potential of new technologies, such as closed-circuit television monitoring, to improve safety in cities. However, "even more important than technology," argued Louisa Vinton, UN Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, "is the engagement of local communities in crime prevention, involving not only local authorities, but also the business community and civil society groups of all shapes and sizes." UNDP has worked with Crime Prevention Councils in Croatian cities and towns to help communities to identify and address their most pressing security concerns. Vinton noted that in Vukovar, Osijek, and Otočac, UNDP had helped to create well-lit outdoor parks equipped with durable fitness equipment in locations that previously had been dark, threatening places where delinquents lingered. She urged cities that did not yet have active Crime Prevention Councils to reconsider their potential to contribute to safer communities.

Zaštita used the conference to present the results of their latest survey of security in Croatian cities. Analyzing the rates of violent crime, property crime, traffic accidents and drug use in Croatia's 29 biggest cities, Zaštita and the Zagreb Institute of Economy concluded that the safest city in Croatia was Samobor, followed by Solin, Velika Gorica, Križevci and Sisak.

Documents for download:
Obraćanje Louise Vinton, UN Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Croatia
Presentation Prevention of crime through environmental activities and urban design - importance of evaluation, Krunoslav Borovec and Iva Balgač, Ministry of Interior (available in Croatian)
Presentation Importance of urban situation prevention in preventing criminal acts, Željko Petković, Prevention Department, Ministry of Interior (available in Croatian)
Presentation Survey: The Safest Cities in the Republic of Croatia in 2011, Antun Krešimir Buterin, Zaštita magazine (available in Croatian) 


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