Crime & violence prevention via Slum Upgrading Projects Examples from Honduras and Jamaica Lorena Cohan, Social Development Specialist, LCSSO Urban Week, February 1 st, 2011
«BARRIO CIUDAD PROJECT» Community-based Crime and Violence Prevention in Honduras
Violence in Honduras National homicide rate 2009: 66.8/100,000 Homicide id rate in San Pedro Sula 2009: 111.2/100,000 000 Homicide rate in la Ceiba 2009: 106.1/100,000 84% of homicides occur in urban areas 64.9% of homicides occur in public spaces
Our Neigborhoods Neigborhoods g Inequity, unemployment, lack of public services, disintegrated families, gender based violence and child abuse, drug abuse, school drop-out, firearms, maras
The consequences Fear, insecurity, homicide, extorsion, threat to governance, high economic cost of violence
Honduras Barrio Ciudad Project: *Standard urban upgrading project with crime and violence prevention component, targeting marginal neighborhoods in secondary cities in Honduras *Total project amount: US$15 million; C&V component:us$1million *Implemented by Honduran Social Investment Fund in 7 municipalities Crime and violence prevention component includes: 1) Situational prevention (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design - CPTED), urban renewal, broken windows 2) Capacity building, training and technical assistance in multi-sectoral C&V prevention including: community crime mapping and diagnostics, preventing juvenile delinquency and domestic violence, community safety, and M&E. 3) Complementary investments and activities, including municipal plans for C&V prevention and grant funds for complementary infrastructure and programs for community safety.
Implementation Model Primary Prevention Situational Prevention (CPTED) Secondary Prevention
Strategic Guidelines Community Development Environmental Protection Crime and Violence Prevention
Mobilizing Communities around Violence Prevention
Peace March
Mobilizing Youth
Participatory Creation of Insecurity Maps to inform project design
Presentation of Insecurity Maps to inform project design
Walk through of hotspots with the community at night
Alliances and partnerships
Municipal level Training and Creation of C&V prevention Plans
Improved relations with and involvement of the local Police
Community Contribution
Tree Planting days
Community Clean up Days
Capacity building, conflict resolution, skills training, leadership
Technical urban and social staff at the municipal level play a key role
Arts and Culture
Social Cohesion Health, Safety and Environment Fair, 2009
Leadership and self-esteem Youth Network, Santa Rosa de Copán, 2009
After school reinforcement
Capacity Building Vocational Training
Barrio Scouts
Community-Police Relationship Building the Police Station in Danli, 2009
Yes, We can! Youth-Exchange Activity, Chamelecon, 2009
Caring for the environment Clean up campaigns, reforestation, visiting watersheds
Winning the championship
Another Kid s Day in the Barrio
Situational Prevention Parque Lo Nuestro, Danli 2009
Natural Surveillance
Access and control
Recovering public spaces Municipal Stadium, Villanueva
Initial results are very promising In first community where all infrastructure works have been completed and where social interventions have been delivered since beginning ofproject: 85% of community residents feel safe in their neighborhoods; 76% of residents feel safe in their own homes (compared to 51.4% before the Project began); 85% of residents no longer avoid certain places in their neighborhoods for fear of being victimof a crime (up from 62% before the beginning of the Project); 88% of residents feel that the danger that they or their households will be affected by crime and violence has decreased (up for 47%);and None of the communityresidents had anyknowledge of a death as a result of violence (as opposed to 20% before project)
Jamaica Inner Cities Basic Services for the Poor Project (ICBSP)
Violence in Jamaica Source: Jamaica Constabulary Force (2008)
Violence in Jamaica Source: Jamaica Constabulary Force (2008)
Jamaica Inner Cities Basic Services for the Poor (ICBSP) Project: *Urban upgrading project with iha Public Safety Component implemented in 12 inner city communities across Jamaica *Basic services provision + community based social prevention *Objective ofcomponent isto improve perceptions of safety and reduce crime via short term and medium term interventions *$30 million project; Public Safety Component: US$3.9 million * Implemented by Jamaica Social Investment Fund Public Safety Component includes: * Mediation and conflict resolution * Alternative livelihoods lh and skills kll development * Family support programs * Youth education and recreation * Communitycapacity buildingandpublicawareness awareness *Important links between public safety interventions + access to services (i.e. community centers, zincfence removal, solid waste collection, street lighting)
Homework classes
GSAT classes
Summer camps
Sports competition
Zinc fence removal
Zinc fence removal
Conflict resolution workshops
Lessons Learned and Best Practices in Community-Based Crime and Violence Prevention Full integration of infrastructure and crime and violence/public safety components/partnership between urban and social project staff Direct municipal participation in coordinating crime and violence prevention efforts Strengthen leadership at community level Always use participatory approaches (diagnostics, program design, maintenance of public works) Build up community-police relations and citizen confidence in its authorities Work with partners (government, civil society, private sector) Keep politics out of the game!