The Crime Prevention portfolio, in partnership with Canberra’s community, service providers and agencies, explores and targets the causes of crime. They help to educate the community about property security and personal safety, build social capital and promote community confidence.
ACT Policing Crime Prevention’s Team supports, conducts or coordinates a broad range of community engagement programs, including:
- ACT Policing’s Suburban Policing Strategy. This strategy is designed to increase the visibility and availability of police to work with the community to solve problems and improve perceptions of crime and build community confidence.
- The Family Violence Intervention Program. This program provides a coordinated community and criminal justice response to family violence in the ACT.
- Victim Liaison Officers who provide comprehensive support to victims of crime.
- Constable Kenny Koala. The Constable Kenny Koala program is designed to educate primary school aged children on a range of safety and crime prevention messages and to encourage children to turn to police for help and advice.
- The Home Safety Program. This program provides home security and crime prevention advice to residential burglary victims.
- Canberra PCYC. The Canberra PCYC is a leading youth facility, providing innovative, relevant activities in an environment that fosters youth participation. The PCYC assists young people to achieve their best in life and promotes positive and friendly relationships between police and young people.
- Restorative Justice. The Crime Prevention Team promotes, refers and advises police and the community on the Restorative Justice process. This process works with victims of crime, youth offenders and the community, for reconciliation and healing.
- Support for community organisations. The Crime Prevention Team support and advise important community organisations such as ACT Neighbourhood Watch, ACT Safety House and Police Scouts.
- The Multicultural Liaison Team. This team work with Canberra’s diverse multicultural community to address community issues. The team promotes and supports a variety of multicultural events and programs.
- The Youth Liaison Team. The team strives to develop, coordinate and promote programs which divert youth away from crime and harmful behaviours.
- The Indigenous Community Liaison Team. The team works to strengthen the relationship between police and the indigenous community both in and around the ACT.
- The Business Liaison Team. This team works with Canberra’s business community and peak bodies, to assist and advise on crime prevention and control and to strengthen the relationships between police and the ACT business community.
The Crime Prevention Team are also involved in the research, project management and event management of initiatives which stimulate public focus on specific crime types or security issues.