ABSTRACT
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 427 How Political Are National Crime Prevention Policies? ............................... 429 How Political Is the Role of Local Government in Crime Prevention? ...... 433 Balancing the Role of Governments and the Private Sector in Crime Prevention-Social Financing .......................................................................... 439 The Future of Prevention-Recognition on Multiple Fronts ........................ 442 Glossary of Key Terms ....................................................................................... 443 Discussion Questions ........................................................................................444 Suggested Reading .............................................................................................444 Recommended Web Links ................................................................................ 445 References ............................................................................................................ 445
These two very disparate quotations underline the very political nature of policies that try to improve the lives of women and men in all societies. The first is a chant initially used on marches organized by women’s groups in the United States and Canada in the 1970s, to protest the lack of public action on sexual violence against women, especially in public spaces. It was part of a powerful social movement that helped persuade governments that they should put in place legislation and policies to help prevent such violence. The second quotation is taken from the website of the Canadian federal government in 2015. The Conservative party, under former Prime Minister Steven Harper, had been in power from 2005 until its defeat in October 2015, and the statement clearly reflected his view that the most important priorities were the economy, and tough legislation and criminal justice responses to deter and punish offenders, which, at times, was to the detriment of the rights of individuals.
