European Forum for Urban Safety: Audits & Methodologies

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Extracts from the Zaragoza Manifesto: *General recommendations* 10- The involvement of cities and communities in sustainable safety policies must receive support from national, European, and international authorities. A ‘bottom upwards’ approach must guide the elaboration and unfolding of action programmes of the European Union as much as other international authorities. Priority must be given to experimentation with innovative practices, the development of evaluative and diagnostic methodologies, exchanges and cooperation between cities, multidisciplinary training of local players and the dissemination of practices such as those concerning public-private-partnerships. *Workshop on Prevention Tools* In the eyes of the public and of political decision-makers, the credibility of prevention policy can exist only at the price of adopting specific, standardised methods giving a rational foundation to the investments realised. The multidisciplinary, integrated nature of prevention policies imposes thorough knowledge of reality and analyses allowing for taking into account the many causes of crime, the diversity of delinquents and the different forms of victimisations. Cities promote the setting-up of local multidisciplinary coalitions bringing together all the partners concerned by crime. Amongst these partners, the central state and regional authorities must agree to commit themselves in the framework of their responsibilities alongside the cities. The recourse to diagnostic tools, in the form of audits, victimisation surveys and self-reporting schemes; as well as the implementation of local research institutes in particular, must be used to achieve the objectives. The definition of indicators – quantitative as well as qualitative – for monitoring policies and results constitutes the basis for a necessary policy evaluation. In the diagnostic and evaluative phases, the partners and local prevention coordinators must be able to rely on the scientific expertise of university researchers. Aiming at assessing the effects – beneficial or harmful, expected or unexpected, direct or secondary – of actions undertaken, evaluation must be less an instrument of supervision than an aid in decision-making, a tool for the smooth running of democracy. Partnerships can exist only after considerable exchanges of information on persons and situations; something which has to be done in accordance with the European agreement on Human Rights and European and national legislation regarding protection of personal data as well as the professional ethics of the various partners. It is up to countries and the European Union to favour the training of partners and new professionals in the prevention professions, to encourage and support the exchange of practices between cities and to let players in the field share in defining their prevention plans at the central and European levels. This local policy must remain in constant touch with citizens and be the subject of an active communication policy presupposing participation of the media.

Extracts from the Zaragoza Manifesto:

General recommendations

10- The involvement of cities and communities in sustainable safety policies must receive support from national, European, and international authorities. A ‘bottom upwards’ approach must guide the elaboration and unfolding of action programmes of the European Union as much as other international authorities. Priority must be given to experimentation with innovative practices, the development of evaluative and diagnostic methodologies, exchanges and cooperation between cities, multidisciplinary training of local players and the dissemination of practices such as those concerning public-private-partnerships.

Workshop on Prevention Tools

In the eyes of the public and of political decision-makers, the credibility of prevention policy can exist only at the price of adopting specific, standardised methods giving a rational foundation to the investments realised. The multidisciplinary, integrated nature of prevention policies imposes thorough knowledge of reality and analyses allowing for taking into account the many causes of crime, the diversity of delinquents and the different forms of victimisations.

Cities promote the setting-up of local multidisciplinary coalitions bringing together all the partners concerned by crime. Amongst these partners, the central state and regional authorities must agree to commit themselves in the framework of their responsibilities alongside the cities. The recourse to diagnostic tools, in the form of audits, victimisation surveys and self-reporting schemes; as well as the implementation of local research institutes in particular, must be used to achieve the objectives. The definition of indicators – quantitative as well as qualitative – for monitoring policies and results constitutes the basis for a necessary policy evaluation. In the diagnostic and evaluative phases, the partners and local prevention coordinators must be able to rely on the scientific expertise of university researchers.

Aiming at assessing the effects – beneficial or harmful, expected or unexpected, direct or secondary – of actions undertaken, evaluation must be less an instrument of supervision than an aid in decision-making, a tool for the smooth running of democracy.

Partnerships can exist only after considerable exchanges of information on persons and situations; something which has to be done in accordance with the European agreement on Human Rights and European and national legislation regarding protection of personal data as well as the professional ethics of the various partners.

It is up to countries and the European Union to favour the training of partners and new professionals in the prevention professions, to encourage and support the exchange of practices between cities and to let players in the field share in defining their prevention plans at the central and European levels. This local policy must remain in constant touch with citizens and be the subject of an active communication policy presupposing participation of the media.