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THE EUROPEAN FORUM FOR URBAN SAFETY AND ITS ACTIVITES REGARDING DRUGS
Context: The stance of the EFUS
For several years the EFUS has been raising questions over the role of cities in launching security policies and the fight against social exclusion. Since 1992 the EFUS has been carrying out its “SecuCities Drugs” projects, based on the exchange of practices to prevent drug abuse and to reduce the risks in the network’s cities.
The EFUS defends the importance of the city as a strategic location to intervene in this issue, as a city represents:
- the place where conflicts and differences must be managed
- the place where the people live
- the appropriate place to put experimental schemes into operation
- the place where public places need to be managed and people from different backgrounds live together
- the place to find a balance between public health and public safety
- the place where the needs of the local population must be balanced with the needs of the drug users
The Forum’s strategy consists on the one hand of gathering local people together in order to unite efforts in the fight against drug abuse, and on the other hand in promoting the exchange of experiences and good practices between European cities.
The EFUS, as well as the network of cities (which is not a political network), does not take a position with regard to the debate concerning the legalisation of drugs.
The EFUS’ approach on this theme is to promote dialogue between local people affected by the problem in the hope of creating a local partnership and interdisciplinary networks.
The EFUS has the following objectives:
- to allow the transfer of knowledge
- to promote the creation and/or coordination of local partnerships in the cities
- to create networks of cities working on this theme
- to fuel debates
- to determine the role of local elected representatives
- to develop a close working partnership between civil society and the local elected representatives and local actors in the network of cities
The importance of partnership: The people affected by this issue come from several different areas: the police, aid organisations (particularly NGOs), the health service, social services, the judiciary, schools, the city council etc.
The EFUS has focused its activities on creating local partnerships but has mostly worked with: local elected representatives and active local people in the cities, key people in society, associations, researchers, the police and judiciary, people working in the leisure industry.
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