RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56

PARTICIPATION OF THE PUBLIC AND VICTIMS IN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATIONJohn Brian Griffin*
I. COMMUNITY SAFETY AND
CRIME PREVENTION EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY
Developing and maintaining a safe
community is vital to improving the living
conditions of all citizens. It makes ourcommunities a better place in which to live,
raise a family, to invest and do business.
Achieving a safe community is more thansolving and reducing crime, it is reducing
the public’s fear of crime. It is about
encouraging all sections of the communitythat they can participate in a diverse rangeof business and recreational activities at
all times of the day and night, and be safe.
In the past, crime prevention strategies,
throughout the world, have tended to be:
•
•
•
•
•

Narrowly focused
Fragmented
Program driven
Funding dependent; andShort term

Economically and socially, new crime
prevention strategies are required which:• Are innovative• Are outcome orientated• Provide a more coordinatedgovernment and community
approach• Build on local and international
experiences• Involve the wider community andprivate sector* Chief Executive Officer, Core-the Public
Correctional Enterprise, Department of Justice,
Australia.

28

In order to place Australia’s crime
prevention and community safety
approaches into context, it is useful to
examine the broader international
environment.
II. UNITED KINGDOM
A. Crime and Disorder Act: Placing
Crime Prevention Within a
Statutory Framework
In 1998 the United Kingdom introduced
the Crime and Disorder Act. This Act
places a legal obligation upon the police andlocal authorities (eg, housing, health, andeducational authorities), to work together
to develop and implement a strategy for
reducing crime and disorder in theircommunities.
The overall aim of the Crime andDisorder Act is to empower local
communities to address crime problems.
In formulating and implementing astrategy, police and local authorities haveto:(i) Conduct and publish an audit of local
crime and disorder problems:(ii) Consult locally in conducting a crime
audit, seeking the views ofcommunity groups;(iii)Set and publish objectives andtargets of their strategy arising fromthe auditing process (short and longterm performance targets have to be
formulated).
(iv) Identify and stipulate the various
responsibilities of the agencies thatwill be involved in implementing thestrategy.
(v) Monitor outcomes and outputs.

112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
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The Crime and Disorder Act aims toensure that a partnership, multi-agency
approach is adopted in addressing local
crime and disorder problems. The Act does
not prescribe what the agenda for local
partnerships should be, nor the structuresthat will be needed to deliver that agenda.
Rather these have to be tailored to local
community contexts.
B. Safer Cities Program: The Needto Combine Situational andSocial Approaches
Also in the United Kingdom is the Safer
Cities program, which aims to reduce crimeand fear of crime. It forms part of theGovernment’s Regeneration Program, thataims to address the social, physical andeconomic problems of disadvantaged urban
areas - particularly council housing estates.
The program provides funding forindividual projects, with the UK Home
Office and Audit Commission responsible
for monitoring and evaluating Safer Cities.
The program takes a partnership or multiagency approach. Elements include:• Voluntary bodies and the private
sector have been important in thedesign and delivery of Safer Cities
initiatives.
• Projects have tackled a range of crime
problems (eg, domestic andcommercial burglary, domestic
violence, vehicle crime, shop theft,crime against small business) anddisorder issues (eg, graffiti andvandalism).
• Decreased fear of crime has been
regarded as a consequence of
successfully reducing crime per se.
• The dominant focus of Safer Cities
has been upon the reduction ofburglary, both in domestic andcommercial settings. Hencesituational approaches like physicalsecurity measures have dominated.
• A number of successful“demonstration projects” have shownthat while situational measures may
work independently, a comprehensive
approach involving sociallyorientated initiatives (eg, educational
and publicity campaigns, support for“at risk” families and young people)
ensures that all possible predictorsof crime and disorder are addressed.
C. Repeat Victimisation: Focusing
Crime Prevention where it is
Most Needed
The United Kingdom Home Office
Research and the Safer Cities programillustrated there are some places andpeople that are prone to multiple criminal
victimisations, by the same or different
crime over time. This is termed ‘repeat
victimisation’.
Research shows that places and people,
who are revictimised, account for a large
percentage of criminal victimisations.
Repeat victimisation has become a key
focus of UK crime prevention initiatives.
Programs to prevent repeat victimisation
have addressed residential and commercial
burglary, car theft, domestic violence andracial attacks.
Reducing repeat victimisation isincreasingly used by UK police as a key
performance indicator. Experts argue that
focusing on repeat victimisation as a crime
prevention strategy ensures:(i) Crime prevention is focused upon
those people and places in highest
need of intervention.
(ii) Scarce crime prevention resources
are more strategically focused.

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
D. Social Exclusion: The
Interdependency of Crime, Socialand Economic Issues
In 1998, the Blair government made acommitment to address the problem ofsocial exclusion by establishing the Social
Exclusion Unit. The United Kingdom
government regards social exclusion as a
combination of linked problems that
individuals or areas can suffer. These
include unemployment, poor skills, low
incomes, poor housing, high crime
environments, bad health and family
breakdown.
A variety of strategies have emerged
under the banner of addressing social
exclusion. These include work and training
programs, reform to welfare benefits andentitlements, family tax credits, income
support, improving numeracy and literacy
skills of the young, capital support for
housing improvement, a national drugs
strategy and local crime reduction
partnerships, economic regeneration ofpoor neighbourhoods, and initiatives toaddress physical and mental health.
Due to the multi-faceted andinterdependent nature of the problem, oneof the central roles of the Social Exclusion
Unit is to promote cooperation between
government departments, local authorities
and community agencies, and to improvemechanisms to integrate their work inaddressing social exclusion.
III. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A. The US Crime Control Model: A
Dual Track System
The US approach to crime control is
working, because crime rates overall havebeen decreasing. Despite this, its juvenile
crime rate has not followed a similar trend.
America adopts two contrasting
approaches - a dual track system:

30(i) “Get tough” retributive measures,
exemplified by “three strikes”
legislation, boot camps, and zerotolerance policing.
(ii) Measures concerned with earlychildhood development, opportunities
for young people, improving
residential neighbourhoods andproactive problem orientatedpolicing.
B. Developmental Prevention:
Addressing Risk and Protective
Factors
A key concern of US initiatives has beenwith reducing risk factors associated withjuvenile delinquency (eg, availability ofdrugs and firearms, economic deprivation,family dysfunction and conflict, poor school
performance, early problem behaviour, andgang membership) and strengthening
protective factors (eg, family attachment
and stability, consistent parenting,economic opportunity, high academic
achievement and pro-social role models).
The US Congress has recently legislated
for the development and funding ofdelinquency prevention programs (eg,juvenile mentoring). A “Comunities That
Cares” model has guided US initiatives
that address risk and protective factors at
the local level. This model involves:(i) Mobilisation of key authorities (eg,educational officials, political andbusiness leaders and police) to agree
to a program and pledge theircommitment.
(ii) Establishment of a Community
Board consisting of various agencies(eg, schools, police, health, probation,
parents, youth groups, business,churches and the media), who
conduct a community assessment,with technical assistance, to identify
the main local risk factors that need
to be addressed.

112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS(iii) A number of high priority risk factors
arising from the community
assessment are identified (ie, factorsthat are typically above the national
average).
(iv) Empirical evidence about effective
methods that tackle these priority
risk factors is collected.
(v) The Community Board develops apreventative plan based upon
addressing identified risk andprotective factors, and stipulating
how the plan will be implemented.
C. Place Specific Crime Prevention:
Neighbourhood Environments
and Crime
Place specific crime prevention focusesupon changing the physical environment
and improving property management.
This approach addresses the connection
between the physical features ofneighbourhoods (eg, signs of crime likevandalism or poorly designed housing),
crime and fear of crime. It entails five
approaches:(i)

Improved housing design to address
security features.
(ii) Changing land use and circulation
patterns to reduce exposure topotential crime targets.
(iii) Develop “territoriality” so residents
become more vigilant against crimeand disorder.
(iv) Address physical deterioration to
reduce signs of crime and improveresidential perceptions.
(v) I m p r o v e f o r m a l a n d i n f o r m a lmanagement practices withinneighbourhoods to ensure changes
are sustained over the long term.
This approach has been mainly
implemented in highly disadvantaged anddeprived US neighbourhoods.

D. Problem Orientated Policing:
Improving Police Crime
Prevention Efforts
The New York approach of zero tolerance
policing is not indicative of reforms to police
practices in the rest of the US. The mostsignificant national reform has been the
adoption of Problem Orientated Policing(POP).
The idea of Problem Orientated Policing(POP) is that police should be solving theunderlying problems that come to theirattention in the communities they serve,rather than simply reacting to them.
Problem Orientated Policing (POP)involves police attempting to understandlocal crime patterns, and address theirproximate causes through pro-active
measures.
One method by which crime patterns
have been understood is through crime
mapping and analysis, identifying where
crime and disorder is clustered in time andspace. Addressing crime “hot spots” (ie,locations that continue to demand police
attention) has shown to maximise the effectof a problem orientated approach.
Problem Orientated Policing (POP) has
been used to address illicit drug markets,gang and handgun violence. Establishingpartnerships with community groups andlocal agencies is a key focus of Problem
Orientated Policing (POP). In order for
Problem Orientated Policing (POP) towork, US police departments have
devolved increasing authority to beat
officers, empowering them with theautonomy to address local crime problems.
E. Civil Remedies: The Legal
Enforcement of Crime
Prevention
Civil remedies involve legal action toprevent behaviours or situations frombecoming a problem, or to reduce or

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
eliminate problems that already exist.
Community groups and police in the US,
utilise civil remedies to address local crimeand disorder problems. Civil remedy
approaches to crime prevention include
such measures as enforced clean-up andup-keep of deteriorated housing, evictionof problem tenants, youth curfews,
injunctions against gangs and the carryingof weapons, enforcement of health andsafety violations, and restrictions on the
selling of alcohol, cigarettes or spray paintto youths.
IV. CANADA
A. The Canadian National Strategy:
Strengthening Community
Institutions
The Canadian National Strategy
comprises of two phases.
(i) Phase One: the establishment of theCanadian Crime Prevention Council,
whose role is to provide the federal
framework for national crime
prevention initiatives.
(ii) Phase Two: launched in 1998,
provides a $32 million investment todevelop community-based responses
to crime.
The Canadian National Strategy adopts
a social developmental framework,
addressing crime and safety issues
involving children, youth, women,
aboriginal people, and families. Canada’s
national strategy incorporates thefollowing key initiatives:(i) Safer Communities Initiative: assists
local communities in developing andsustaining programs, funds
demonstration projects, and provides
support to non-government andvoluntary organisations.
(ii) Promotion and Public Education

32

Program: aims to increase awarenessof, and provide information on,community crime prevention.
(iii) Partnerships with the Private Sector:
facilitates and encourages the private
sector to support and implement
crime prevention activities.
Programs have involved the following
measures:(i) Providing stress management,
parenting skills, and support toyoung parents.
(ii) Supporting “at risk” youth eg, thoseof single parents, or children living
in poverty.
(iii) Improving the literacy skills of
disadvantaged youth.
(iv) Addressing child maltreatment.
(v) Providing knowledge about aspects of
the law to aboriginal youth.
(vi) Assisting in the integration of
refugees and migrants into Canadianneighbourhoods.
B. Problem Orientated Analysis: A
Systematic Approach toPreventing Crime
The Canadian strategy stipulates
communities should utilise a problemorientated approach in addressing crimeand safety problems. This involves thefollowing steps:
1.

2.
3.

4.

Identifying and analysing local
community problems using
appropriate data sources.
Identifying from this auditing process
key priority problems.
Investigating these key priority
problems in greater detail (eg,identifying victim or offendercharacteristics, patterns and trends,
methods of offending, location of the
problem, involvement of alcohol ordrugs).
Develop an action plan and112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
determine the level of intervention(eg, at the neighbourhood orindividual level).
5. Identify those who need to be
involved in planning andimplementation.
6. Identify avenues for resources,
particularly in poor areas orcommunities.
7. Identify and select appropriate
strategies.
8. Set goals and objectives to be met.
9. Prepare an action plan stipulating
the duties and tasks of agencies andgroups to be involved.
10. Design an implementation timetable.
11. Obtain community and agency
support for the action plan.
12. Implement and monitor the strategy
to ensure it is sustained over time.
13. E v a l u a t e t h e i m p a c t o f t h einterventions by referring to the data
sources used in step one to three.
V. AUSTRALIA
A. The National Anti-Crime Strategy
The National Anti-Crime Strategy wasestablished by the Premiers and Chief
Ministers from all Australian States andTerritories in November, 1994. The
Strategy recognised the value of crossjurisdictional cooperation and a multidisciplinary approach to of crime
prevention.
Crime prevention in Australia is
primarily the responsibility of the six
States and two Territories. On 28 June
1995, the Commonwealth, State andTerritory Ministers endorsed a National
Anti-Crime Strategy paper containing theagreed principles of crime prevention andcommunity safety within jurisdictions,principles and a structure for cooperation
between jurisdictions.

B. Crime Prevention Initiatives
across the Commonwealth
Government
The Government has recognised a whole
government approach to preventing crime
is needed. An indication of some of theinitiatives and programs is set out below.
C. Attorney- General’s Department(i) Firearms Control-coordinating thenational implementation of thefirearms control and firearms buyback program.
(ii) Fraud Control - work is currently
being undertaken to revise theGovernment’s Fraud Control Policy,
which will form the basis of fraud
management programs across all
Commonwealth agencies andorganisations.
(iii) National Crime Authority - hasreceived additional money for
initiatives which target complex
money laundering and tax evasion
schemes.
(iv) National Register of Convicted
Paedophiles - Police Ministers fromall Australian States and Territories
have agreed to the establishment ofa national register which can beused by education and community
service agencies to carry out checks
for prospective employees.
(v) Aboriginal Deaths in Custody - inconjunction with the Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Commission(ATSIC), the Attorney General’s
Department has organised a
Ministerial summit.
(vi) Classification Guidelines for Films
and Video Tapes - were reviewed
and amended to restrict films
containing excessive high level
violence from public release or salein Australia.
(vii) Family Violence and Intervention
Projects - being conducted by Legal
Aid and Family Services, examining

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
models for effective intervention infamily domestic violence situations.
(viii) M a r r i a g e a n d R e l a t i o n s h i p
Education Programs - to develop
best practice approaches and early
identification of risks andprevention of violence inrelationships involving young
women.
(ix) Domestic Violence Database agreement has been obtained
between States and Territories todevelop a database to better
facilitate the sharing of data fromfamily law, firearms registry anddomestic violence protection ordersources.
(x) M o d e l o f D o m e s t i c Vi o l e n c e
Legislation - the Standing
Committee of Attorney-Generals
has agreed to a model of domestic
violence legislation to ensure a
uniform approach across all States
and Territories.
(xi) Changes to the Family Law Act - in
1996, to ensure family violence istaken into account by the Court
when considering arrangements forchildren following parental
separation.
D. Department of Communicationand the Arts(i) R e p o r t o f t h e C o m m i t t e e o f
Ministers on the Portrayal of
Violence in the Electronic Media.
(ii) Government response to the reporton the Select Committee on
Community Standards Relevant to
the Supply of Services UtilisingElectronic Technologies - Portrayalof Violence.
E. Office of the Status of Women(i) National Forum on Domestic
Violence (1996).
(ii) A National Women’s Safety Survey
was undertaken by the Bureau of

34

Statistics - providing confirmationthat violence against women is stilla significant crime and social issue.
(iii) National Ministerial Summit on
Domestic Violence.
F. Department of Health and Family
Services(i) Strengthening Families Strategy incorporating a range of family
support programs including
parenting education, child abuse
prevention and emergency relief
programs.
(ii) “ G o o d B e g i n n i n g s ” N a t i o n a lParenting Project - home visiting
projects focusing on child abuse
prevention and parenting
education.
(iii) National Youth Suicide Prevention
Strategy - supporting research,education and training for
professionals, and increased accessto counselling and telephone
support services.
(iv) Youth Homelessness Pilot Program- piloting a program to test
innovative early intervention
strategies to assist young people atrisk of homelessness to re-engage infamily, work, education and training
and life in the community.
(v) Supported Accommodation andAssistance Program - providing
better monitoring of transitional
supported accommodation andassociated services provided toyouth, homeless persons, domestic
violence victims and children.
(vi) R u r a l a n d R e m o t e D o m e s t i c
Violence Initiative - trialing a
number of different information andreferral models, including services
for Aboriginal women and womenfrom non-English speaking
backgrounds in remote and rural
areas of Australia.

112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
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G. Department of Employment,
Education, Training and YouthAffairs(i) Research Initiatives - together with
the States and Territories researchhas been completed on Transitional
Arrangements for Post Release
Young Offenders; Early School
Leaving; and Youth Homelessness.
H. Department of Immigration andMulticultural Affairs(i) Work is being undertaken, in
cooperation with the law
enforcement agencies, to improve
the systems for ensuring that thereis effective exchange of informationon undesirable persons entering
Australia.
I. Primary Industries and Energy(i) Firearms Safety - training materials
to primary users (farmers, graziers
and rural workers) on how to use
firearms safely.
(ii) Integrated Rural Strategy - general
support for rural communities.
(iii) First National Rural Public HealthForum - to address particularconcerns in relation to domestic
violence, firearms, and men’s healthissues (particularly in relation toroad and work accidents and alcoholabuse) in the rural sector.
J. Sport, Territories and Local
Government - Australian Sports
Commission(i) Young Persons Sport and Recreation
Development Program - provides
funding to States and Territories tofacilitate the involvement ofindigenous young people in sport asa means of providing structured
recreational activities to relieveboredom.
(ii) Aussie Sport - a program to promote
the involvement of children in juniorsport which, among other things,
constantly promotes the importanceon non-violence in sport.
(iii) Give Racism the Boot - an initiative
which is being developed to combat
racist behaviour and attitudes at alllevels of sport involvement.
K. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Commissioner (ATSIC)(i) Aboriginal Legal Services Program- includes a component ofcounselling, assistance and referralof young indigenous people who are
at risk of coming into contact withthe criminal justice system.
(ii) ATSIC is piloting a program foryoung offenders, initiated by thePrime Minister, called the Improved
Integration of Young Offenders into
Employment, Education, Training
and Community Life.
(iii) Funding for Night Patrols - where
members of the local indigenous
communities provide transport
home to young people in an attempt
to divert them from anti-social
activity when they congregate ingroups.
VI. THE STATE OF VICTORIA
A. Crime Prevention Initiatives
Across The State of Victoria VicSafe - Partnerships Against
Crime
Promotes highly focused community
consultation on community safety andcrime prevention concerns and proposals.
The Safer Cities and Shires program will
help develop and maintain a safer
community. Creating a safer community
includes:(i)

Addressing the safety and crimeissues of most concern to the local
community.
(ii) F o c u s s i n g o n c o s t - e f f e c t i v eoutcomes.
35

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56(iii) Improving social and physicalenvironments.
(iv) Minimising the public’s fear of crimeand violence.
(v) Achieving a high level of publicorder that enables all people to go
safely about their lawful pursuits,
and to participate fully incommunity and public life,
anywhere, anytime.
Many, if not most, community safety andcrime prevention problems call for local
community solutions:
These solutions need the support
and participation of the wholecommunity working in partnershipwith police, corrections and otheragencies.
(ii) A safer community is thus acommunity responsibility and not
the sole responsibility of police,corrections nor any other criminal
justice agency.
(iii) Local community safety work brings
police closer to the community they
serve, and includes greater
accountability to local communities.

(iii) Setting realistic, achievable targets
to gain significant and sustainablereductions in particular forms ofcrime and violence.
(iv) Using performance indicators andmeasures to accurately andobjectively assess the outputs andoutcomes of this work.
(v) Developing and implementing
innovative, best practice strategies
to tackle safety and crime issues inlocal communities.
(vi) Creating partnerships and project
teams at the local level to implement
these strategies.

(i)

Local Governments are being asked totake the lead in coordinating initiatives toaddress the safety and crime issues of mostconcern to their local communities. The
State Government, through the
Department of Justice, is offering seeding
funding to cities and shires over the next
three years to put strategies in place thatwill address these concerns.
Safer Cities and Shires will emphasise:(i)Addressing community safety andcrime prevention issues through astrategic, planned whole ofgovernment approach.
(ii) Preventing problems before they
emerge.

36

1. Strategies
Innovative and outcome oriented
strategies are required to provide a morecoordinated and integrated governmentand community approach to safety andcrime issues. New approaches need tobuild on local and international experience,and involve the wider community andprivate sector.
Safety and crime issues are complex,
interdependent, and embrace the activitiesof all government agencies at national,
state and local levels, and the private
sector. These activities are most likely tobe effective if they are focussed on outcomes
rather than inputs, guided by best practicebenchmarks, and have the capacity to bemainstreamed into core government,
business and community responsibilities.
2. Why Local Government?
Local councils are well placed to engage
government and non- government
agencies, the private sector, educational
institutions, and community groups inpartnerships to improve community safety.
Local government is best placed to audit
the vast input of resources. It can bring a
blend of services to meet local communities
safety needs. Resources can be aligned with

112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
those practical initiatives that produce thebest outcomes for the least costs. Local
governments provide the setting,infrastructure, and policy framework todevelop, implement and sustain
community-based programs that addresscommunity safety and crime issues. It isbest placed to develop a real sense ofcommunity ownership of strategies toimprove community safety andinvolvement in determining which safety
and crime issues have priority.
The role of local government now
encompasses social and community
planning, urban design, the provision ofhuman services, environmental
management, education and training, andeconomic development. These changes,
which have taken local government beyond
its historical and traditional role ofproviding physical infrastructure andservices to property, have significant
implications for community safety andcrime prevention.
3. C o m m u n i t y S a f e t y a n d C r i m ePrevention Board
The Victorian State Government
established the Community Safety andCrime Prevention Board with the Heads
of Government Departments (Premiers,
Education, Health, Justice and Local
Government) together with significant
community leaders and representatives ofLocal Government to coordinate theimplementation of the VicSafe Strategy.
The functions of the Board are to:(i)Actively promote and champion theconcept of crime prevention as acommunity initiative, and provide
advice to the Minister for Police andEmergency Services on community
safety and crime prevention policy,
strategies and issues of concern tothe community.
(ii) Provide strategic leadership in theplanning and delivery of major
components of the statewide,
community safety and crime
prevention framework.
(iii) O v e r s e e t h e m u l t i - a g e n c ycollaboration necessary to ensurethat State and Local Government
agencies effectively incorporate andachieve appropriate community
safety and crime prevention
outcomes within their businessplanning processes.
(iv) Ensure ongoing evaluation of thecommunity safety and crime
prevention framework, and ensurethat it achieves visible and tangible
outputs and outcomes of direct
benefit to the Victorian community.
(v) Establish, foster and maintainstrategic links with private, not for
profit agencies, religious andacademic sectors in identifying,promoting integrating andresourcing community safety andcrime prevention best practicet h r o u g h o u t t h e Vi c t o r i a n
community.
B. Safer Cities and Shires Strategic Directions:
Implementing Safer Cities and Shires
involves Local Government performing astrategic leadership role in developing
comprehensive local community safety andcrime prevention policies and actions.
Safer Cities and Shires identifies five
strategic directions:(i) Direction 1: Build on Local
Government’s strength as a catalyst
in creating comprehensive, local
community safety plans conduciveto the sustainable, long term
development of safer cities andshires.
(ii) Direction 2: Build on the local
g o v e r n m e n t ’s s t r e n g t h a s afacilitator to bring about a blend of37

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
services to meet a local community’ssafety needs and to ensure the costeffective and coordinated use ofresources to produce the best
outcomes for the least costs.
(iii) Direction 3: Develop a whole ofgovernment and whole of council
approach to community safety andenable local Government to obtain
added value from existing programsand expenditure by building
community safety and crime
prevention strategies into theirmainstream operations.
(iv) Direction 4: Develop comprehensive
needs analyses to create
sophisticated, integrated andobjective safety, crime and healthprofiles in local communities.
(v) Direction 5: Create a Safer Cities
and Shires performancemeasurement framework,
consisting of precise performancemeasures and indicators and Statebenchmarks for best practice thatcan be publicised and emulated inother areas.
C. Three Principal Outputs of Safer
Cities and Shires are:
1. A comprehensive local community
safety plan in each municipality that
can:
(i)

Identify clear, short and long-term
outcomes within specified key
results areas that are formulatedaround agreed local priorities.
(ii) Detailed strategies to achieve theseoutcomes based on sustainable
resource input available to andwithin the local community throughthe government and private sectors.
(iii) Complement and support municipal
public health plans, municipal
emergency management plans,
environment improvement plans,
and other business plans that38

impact on community wellbeing.
(iv) Identify end detail locally based
community safety and crime
prevention initiatives that address
the needs of the local community.
(v) Be based upon shared information
between agencies, interagency
protocols and compatible datasystems.
(vi) Use integrated safety, crime, health,and quality of life profiles in thelocal communities.
(vii) Develop baseline information andperformance indicators against
which future progress can bemeasured.
(viii) Be revised annually to ensure its
relevance.
2. A senior management team in eachmunicipality that can:(i)Guide and coordinate thedevelopment and implementation of
the community safety plan and its
regular review.
(ii) Include high level representatives
f r o m t h e c o m m u n i t y, L o c a lGovernment, police, corrections,private sector, non-government
agencies and Commonwealth andState Government Departments.
3. A process of community consultationand involvement through, for example,
customer surveys, needs analysis of
local community safety and crimeissues, and the circulation of the draft
community safety and crime
prevention plan to the community forcomment to encourage community
ownership of the issues and thesolutions.
4. A whole of government approach
involving the Department of Premierand Cabinet, Victoria Police, and theGovernment Responsibilities for112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
Education, Health and Human
Services, Justice, Corrections,
Infrastructure, Local Government,
Treasury, State Development, andNatural Resources and Environment:(i) Core business approach.
(ii) Strategic partnerships with thecommunity.
(iii) A clear focus on outcomes.
(iv) Development of quality data.
(v) Identifying and mainstreaming bestpractice.
(vi) Achieving cost effectiveness.
VII. WHO IS A VICTIM OF CRIME?
A victim of crime is a person who has
suffered harm because of a criminal act.
That harm can be physical injury,
emotional trauma or financial loss. For
example, a person who is injured in aviolent attack, or someone who has
experience a sexual assault or robbery is a
victim of crime. Family members of aperson killed or injured because of a crime
may also be victims. It is common for people
to witness a crime to suffer emotional
trauma. These are victims even though
they may not have been physically harmed.
Being a victim of crime effects people indifferent ways. It is not unusual for people
who have experienced serious crime, suchas robbery or assault, to feel immediately
shocked, fearful or angry. Later it is quite
normal for some victims to experience
depression or even to feel guilty. These
reactions are natural and part of theprocess of dealing with a traumatic event.
In the majority of cases they are also
temporary. With support from family,
friends, and colleagues, most people
recover from the effects of the incident
within a few months. For other people therecovery process is more difficult. The
harm may have occurred over a long periodof time, or a crime may have been especiallytraumatic.

VIII. GROUPS WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS
A. Women - Sexual Assault andDomestic Violence
Many women in our society suffer
violence; both from strangers and frompeople they know, including family
members, friends or workmates. This
violence includes sexual assault such as
rape, physical abuse (including hitting or
beating), verbal abuse and threats.
Because this violence occurs often within
the home, many women suffer in silence
because they feel isolated and ashamed.
B. Child Abuse
Child abuse is not usually a single
incident, but takes place over time, often
at the hands of parents, their friends orother members of the family, rather thanat the hands of a stranger. Child abuse
can take many forms. It includes physicalabuse such as hitting or shoving, sexual
abuse including unwanted fondling orincest; emotional abuse such as regularly
threatening or frightening a child; andneglect, which is failing to properly provide
such basic needs as food and shelter.
C. Men - Violent Crime
Crime statistics show that men aged 1725 years form the largest victim group in
the community. Men also need support andassistance in coping with the effects ofcrime.
D. Aboriginal Victims
It is important for AboriginalAustralians to recognise that there aresupport services available to help
Aboriginal people affected by violent crime.
E. Elderly Victims
The likelihood of an elderly person
becoming a victim of a crime in Australia
is extremely low. However, when a crime
does occur it usually has a greater effecton an older person. An elderly person is
39

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
physically less able to fight back or flee,and can find it harder to recover physicallyor emotionally if injured. The elderly areoften alone and may not have the support
to help them through the personal suffering
caused by violence. Programs fundedrecognise these issues and can help elderly
victims to recover their independence andconfidence.
F. People with Disability
People with disability, whether it be an
intellectual disability, psychiatric illness or
p h y s i c a l d i s a b i l i t y, m a y f i n dcommunication difficult. This can be adisadvantage when seeking help. If
someone suspects that a person with adisability is being harmed in any way theyshould contact the police or the Office of
the Public Advocate.
G. Ethnic Communities
People from different cultural or ethnic
backgrounds who become victims of crime
may need to contact someone they know
and trust for support. However, they may
be afraid of contacting anyone in their own
community because of fear ofembarrassment or gossip. They may also
be isolated from their community and needto find out how to make the first contact.
Many migrants and refugees may notunderstand or trust the Australian legal
system or the police.
H. Families of Homicide Victims
The death of a loved one at the hands ofanother person is not easily overcome. Itis especially hard if families are faced withlengthy trials or unwelcome publicity.
Special services, including the Victorian
Police Victims Advisory Unit and the
Homicide Victims Support Group ofVictoria, offer support to the families ofvictims of homicide.

40

IX. RIGHTS OF VICTIMS OF CRIME
Victims of crime have rights andresponsibilities in the criminal justicesystem. Victims have the right to betreated with courtesy, compassion and withrespect for their dignity and privacy. They
have the right to receive information about
their case, the progress of the investigationand details of any court proceedings.
Victims also have a right to welfare,counseling and medical assistance. They
have a responsibility to assist police in theirinvestigations and to participate in any
court case that may follow.
The main steps in the criminal justicesystem are when:(i)A victim reports a crime to thepolice;(ii) The police investigates the crime;(iii) The police charge a person with acrime;(iv) A court decides whether the person
is innocent or guilty;(v) The Court sentences a person who
is found guilty, which may include
a goal sentence.
A. BackgroundThe establishment of the Victims
Referral Assistance Scheme (VRAS) wasannounced by the Attorney General in
November 1996 following an inquiry
undertaken in 1994/ 95 by the Victims Task
Force of the Victorian Community Council
Against Violence into services available forvictims of crime.
The terms of reference for the inquiry
were wide, and the VCCAV reported on thecurrent circumstances of assistance forvictims of crime. The VCCAV found that
Victorian services for victims of crime had
developed in an ad hoc manner. There wasa lack of co-ordination between services andthe absence of a co-ordinated strategy torespond to the needs of victims.

112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
The inquiry identified the needs ofvictims of crime, services, currently
available, gaps in services provided,
funding criteria, and presented a model fora co-ordinated and integrated strategy torestore victims of crime.
The inquiry found that although somevictims were able to access a variety ofimportant services, gaps and overlaps
existed in service delivery. There was alack of knowledge amongst professionals
and victim support agencies about services
available and needed. A lack of coordination existed between central andlocal services throughout Victoria. The
overwhelming view expressed by the
VCCAV was that there was a real need forvictim assistance to be grounded within thecontext of a strategic approach and basedon a number of guiding principles, which
would provide a framework within which
practical, comprehensive and efficientreform could be undertaken.
An integrated victim assistance regime
was needed with professional andcommunity interfaces developed between
the wide variety of people who can impact
upon victims of crime. Such an integrated
strategy would focus upon:(i) A central referral service;(ii) The information needs and rights ofvictims, service providers and policy
makers;(iii) A responsiveness and sensitivity of
the criminal justice system;(iv) Real service and rehabilitationneeds and rights of victims of crime;and(v) The accountability of services
funded by Government to provide
these Services.
The guiding principles in an integrated
victim support strategy would include:(i) Victims rights;(ii) Complete rehabilitation; and(iii) Community responsibility.
B. Victims Referral and Assistance
Service
The Victim Referral and Assistance
Service is the primary focus of theGovernment’s new Victim Assistance
Strategy introduced in July, 1997. The
service focus is upon an integrated and coordinated system, which is restorative in
its approach and assists victims of crimein a holistic, responsive and caring manner.
A victim of crime is a person who has
suffered harm because of a criminal act.
Harm can mean physical injury, emotional
trauma or financial loss. The crime may
be reported to the police or not. The
mission of the VRAS is to “assist victims ofcrime to overcome the negative effects of
their experiences resulting from crime.” Itsfunctions are to:(i)Refer victims to appropriate support
agencies in an attempt to restore
them, in so far as it is possible, totheir former state;(ii) Administer the Victim’s Counseling
Scheme which will enable victims toaccess immediate short termcounselling;(iii) Manage researching of funding ofadditional assistance to victims
through the Victims Assistance
Program working with community
agencies.
Where required, VRAS will assist eligible
victims access the Victims of Crime
Assistance Tribunal.
These functions are delivered throughthe central referral and advice systems,
which enables the most appropriate andrelevant assistance to be provided
immediately upon contact with the VRAS.

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
Local community assistance is provided
t h r o u g h o u t Vi c t o r i a b y a f u n d e dcommunity network, which can meet needs
locally and in a specialised way. Special
research and other projects assist the
VRAS to develop policies and practices
which continue to meet needs as they are
identified.
The establishment of these new services
within the Department of Justice isproviding for the first time a systematicand integrated approach to meeting theneeds of victims of crime. It provides an
acknowledgment of victim needs andrights, a pathway to rehabilitation and an
involvement of Government andcommunity in responsibility for assisting
victims of crime. In this way, victims aretreated with respect and dignity, so
important for their well being andrestoration.
C. The Help Line
VRAS operates a centralised referral
service to provide victims of crime withreferral to appropriate counsellors and/or
government and community based
networks and agencies.
VRAS operates a Helpline staffed bytrained professional advisers who can
inform callers about the steps they can taketo manage the effects of a crime. The crime
may be reported or unreported, and may
have occurred in the past or very recently.
The crime may range from a burglary to“bag snatching”, sexual assault or
homicide. It may be regarded by some asa minor incident but may have a significant
impact upon an individual caller. Callers
sometimes ring on behalf of others.
The VRAS Helpline is available for all
those who wish to call and seek assistance.
The Helpline can refer victims tocommunity organisations for help, explain
how to access counselling and provide

42

information about a wide range of otherassistance which is available. Sometimes
a caller simply needs to talk through an
issue and needs no further referral. Eachcase is individual and is given individual
attention.
The needs of each particular caller areassessed and a large and extensive database provides access to suitable referrals
including Government agencies, service
providers and community agencies. The
database contains over 11,000 entries
describing services which may be relevant
to a particular circumstance. More than
33,000 people have called the hotline since
it opened in July 1997. Around 11 percentof those are victims of homicide; familiesof the dead or witnesses to the killing.
In addition to the psychologists who
provide counselling though the Victims
Counselling Scheme, VRAS staff can assess
and refer a caller to agencies which provide
information and assistance about housing,financial, legal, community health andsupport services and groups. VRAS staff
speak a number of community languages
and an interpreter service is available. A
comprehensive and detailed listing of
support services and counsellors from nonEnglish speaking backgrounds is readily
available. Assistance for those with adisability can be arranged through carers
or facilitators, as requested.
D. Administering the Victims
Counseling Scheme
VRAS administers a Victims Counseling
Scheme which provides immediate accessto short term counselling. Counselling canhelp victims of crime manage the effects ofcrime on their lives. Counselling isprovided by trained professionals andinvolves assisting or guiding a person toresolve some of the personal, social or
psychological effects of a crime.

112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
Those eligible for five free counsellingsessions with a registered psychologists oran approved counsellor include:(i)Primary and secondary victims of aviolent crime which occurred in
Victoria and has been reported tothe police;(ii) Families of homicide victims; and(iii) Victims of domestic violence,
stalking or assault who have applied
for an intervention order.
About 20 percent of the 33,000 callers
take up the offer of five free counsellingsessions with psychologists of their choice,to the cost of $110 per session. An
additional 5 sessions are granted if thevictims say that they need it. The scheme
has paid out $3,630,000 to psychologists.
Claim forms for the scheme are available
at the time the crime is reported to police,or from Registrars of Courts when anintervention order is applied for.

directly or with the assistance of areferral from the VRAS), a doctor orcommunity agency or other person.
Where counselling is required beyond
the tenth session, the victim may be eligible
for financial assistance from the Victimsof Crime Assistance Tribunal.
E. Regional Agencies Funded by the
VRAS
To meet the needs of victims throughout
Victoria, VRAS provides funding to a
network of services to operate in country
regions and the metropolitan area. This iscalled the Victims Assistance Program.
Qualified professional staff in theseagencies have the knowledge and skills todeliver services and to recruit, train andco-ordinate a network of volunteers able toprovide an immediate response to victims
of crime in their particular regions.
These agencies provide the following
range of services to victims:

1. How the Scheme Works(i)
1. The police officer attending the sceneof a crime (at the crime scene or at
the police station when a report ismade) gives a Notice to Victim Formto the victim.
2. The police officer will indicate (byticking a ‘yes or no box’) whether or
not the person named in the form hasreported a crime against the person.
The reverse side contains theCounselling Claim Form.
3. Some victims who do not receive aclaim form may obtain one from theVRAS.
4. A v i c t i m w h o a p p l i e s f o r a nintervention order will receive theform from the Registrar of the Court,
who will validate it.
5. The victim seeking counselling froma registered psychologist in private
practice of his or her choice (either

Immediate crisis response to victims
of crime, both by telephonecounselling and outreach services;(ii) Where appropriate, refer victims toother services which may be best
able to meet their specific needs;(iii) Practical support of victims of crime(eg shopping, arranging improved
security, contacting relatives,
friends or an employer, writing
letters or assisting to complete
forms).
(iv) Establishment and conduct ofspecialist support groups for victims
of crime and/or people suffering
through a crime committed against
a close relative or friend.
(v) Where no such service is available,
provide support to victims or
witnesses to a crime who are
required to attend court;(vi) Develop the mechanisms through43

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
which the views of clients are
elicited and considered in theplanning and delivery of futureservices, including the developmentof a grievance or complaints
procedure.
The agencies undertake community
education activities to promote community
awareness of issues facing victims of crime
and the availability of the funded service.
They also have networks with otheragencies and professionals providing
services to victims of crime including police,
lawyers, court staff, medical and humanservice providers to enhance theeffectiveness of the service and ensure thatit complements, rather than duplicates,
those services.
F. Victims of Crime Assistance
Tribunal
A major avenue for victims is throughthe Victims of Crime Tribunal, whosefunction is to consider applications forfinancial assistance by victims of violent
crime. A primary, secondary or related
victim of crime can make a claim forfinancial assistance. In summary, people
who are injured or die as a direct result ofa crime are regarded as primary victims.
People who witness a crime but are notdirectly involved are secondary victims.
Related victims may be a dependent, closefamily member or a person who had a close
personal relationship with a primary
victim who has died.
People may not be paid financial
assistance if they are assisted from othersources. These could include a successful
civil suit against the offender, insurance
policies or other schemes such as workcoveror TAC.
The crimes where assistance can besought from the Tribunal include:

44(i) Armed robbery(ii) Aggravated burglary;(iii) Sexual assault;(iv) Homicides;(v) Assaults;(vi) Threat to kill;(vii) Culpable driving;(viii) Assault and robbery.
For the Tribunal to consider a victim’s
application, the crime must have beencommitted in Victoria. Claim forms may
be obtained from the Victims of Crime
A s s i s t a n c e Tr i b u n a l , t h r o u g h t h e
Magistrates’ Courts, a police station or
through a solicitor. The claim form has a
Statutory Declaration and should be
carefully completed. If unsure, theapplicants are encouraged to see a solicitor
for assistance.
The amount of financial assistancedepends on the circumstances of each case.
The maximum total financial assistanceawarded by the Tribunal is $60,000 for a
primary victim; $50,000 for a secondary
victim or related victim. These totals may
include medical, counselling or funeral
expenses and in exceptional circumstances,some other expenses, or a combination ofeach. It is important to note that the
maximum cumulative amount available toall related victims of any one primary
victim is $100,000, less any amountawarded for funeral expenses.
The Tribunal will give priority torequests for payment for counselling. It
can grant these requests without a hearing.
However an application should be made as
quickly as possible. The Tribunal may stillassist an applicant even if no person isfound guilty, or if the offender is not found.
All payments of financial assistance are
made by the Victorian Government.
In most cases the Tribunal will require
an applicant to provide evidence from their

112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
VISITING EXPERTS’ PAPERS
treating doctor or hospital to prove thatthey had been injured. The applicant isalso expected to provide proof of loss ofearnings and any expenses incurred as aresult of the crime. The Tribunal willcollect the evidence, including evidence
from the police, to make a decision about
the victim’s application.
Hearings usually take about half an
h o u r, b e f o r e s p e c i a l l y a p p o i n t e d
Magistrates who hear applications
throughout Victoria. Applicants can attend
alone or with a lawyer or a friend. In somecases, decisions can be made about
compensation without a hearing. After the
hearing the Tribunal may decide any of thefollowing:(i) To give assistance;(ii) Not to give assistance;(iii) To put off the hearing until anotherdate (this could happen if the
Tribunal needs more evidence, or if
its decision depends on the outcomeof another court case).
If a victim believes that the award is too
small, or if their claim is refused, they canappeal the Tribunal’s decision to the
Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
G. Restitution
By law, people can seek damages for any
harm another person or organisation has
caused them. This means a victim of crime
can hire a lawyer and sue an offender. In
Victoria, the State Government can sue
offenders for damages on behalf of thevictim. If the Government agrees to do so,
victims will usually receive any money
recovered additional to the assistance theGovernment has already provided. This
could include compensation for pain andsuffering.
TheVictorian Government will only sue
on a victim’s behalf if the victim or anotherperson can provide details to theGovernment indicating that the offender
has assets or income which he or she canpay to the court, and that it is likely thatthe amount the offender may have to pay
is more than the legal costs of taking theaction.
A criminal court may make acompensation order for pain and sufferingand for damage to property where an
offender is found guilty and the court has
appropriate evidence before it to make anorder if the victim requests that this bedone.
H. Support Program for the
Families of Persons Charges witha Major Crime and VACRO
Support Program for the
Families of Persons Charged withSex Offences
These programs offer counselling andsupport to family members of persons
charged with major crimes including
homicide, and to those persons charged
with sex offences. Contact can be short orlong term, with face to face and telephonecounselling and home visits. The major
crime program assists families to workthrough trauma, grief and coming to termswith the enforced changes to their lives.
The program assisting families of
persons charged with sex offences has asimilar emphasis, with an educative
component reinforcing the principles of thespecific programs offered to sex offenders
in prisons. It offers support to sex
offenders’ families without colluding witheither the offenders’ behaviour or theirdenial of it. The social worker is involvedin co-facilitating with CORE, one of the
management and intervention programs,
which is a twenty-six week, offence-specificprogram for sex offenders in thecommunity.

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 56
X. CONCLUSION
From this review of crime prevention
practices in the United Kingdom, America,
Canada and Australia, and particularreference to the State of Victoria, a numberof general trends can be identified:(i)Communities and agencies need tobe empowered in their efforts toaddress crime and safety problems.
(ii) Strategies to reduce crime andimprove community safety should
be based upon researched evidenceof what works.
(iii) Strategies to reduce crime andimprove community safety must be
tailored to local conditions andproblems.
(iv) A problem-orientated approach tocrime prevention ensures that key
crime problems are addressed, andappropriate strategies
implemented.
(v) Communities, families, schools,
labour markets, welfare groups,
voluntary organisations,businesses, government
departments, police and agencies of
the criminal justice system all havea role to play in crime prevention
and community safety.
(vi) Crime prevention strategies must
be comprehensive and multifaceted, addressing social,
developmental, and situational
issues.
(vii) No single agency can reduce or is
expected to reduce crime, or improve
community safety.
(viii) For crime prevention to work,
governments must show politicalcommitment, eg, giving it astatutory footing.
(ix) Strategies to reduce crime andimprove community safety should
be based upon research of whatworks;

46(x)

Programs need to have in-built
evaluation measures that monitor
outputs and outcomes.

I strongly believe that people who live
and work in communities are best placed
to solve local crime and safety issues. As aconsequence, all criminal justice agencies
must work in partnership with each otherand their local communities, in their efforts
to reduce crime and improve community
safety.
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Benyon J., (1995), Policing and theCommunity - the UK Experience, In Ellem
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Centre for Police and Justice Studies,
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Polewski-Koziell K., Community
Participation in Corrections in Biles, David(ed) (1989), Current International Trends
in Corrections, Federation Press, Sydney,
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Brown Malcolm (ed) (1995), Australian
Crime, The Book Company International,
Sydney, Australia.
Chappel, Duncan & Wilson, Paul (1986),
The Australian Criminal Justice System,
Butterworths, Sydney, Ausralia.
Latessa, Edward & Allen, Harry (1997),
Corrections in the Community, Andersen
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National Campaign Against Violenceand Crime Unit in the Attorney General’s
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Prevention - Project Summary Document,
Canberra (1997), Australia.
National Campaign Against Violenceand Crime Unit in the Attorney General’s112TH INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE
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Department - Crime Prevention Initiatives
across the Commonwealth Government Policy Document, Canberra (1997),
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National Campaign Against Violenceand Crime Unit in the Attorney General’s
Department - Fear of Crime - General Fact
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National Campaign Against Violenceand Crime Unit in the Attorney General’s
Department - Improving Crime Prevention- General Fact Sheet 2 Canberra (1997),
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Police and Strategic Development Unit,
Department of Justice, Victoria, Australia,- Safer Cities and Shires - A Guide toDeveloping Strategic Partnerships - Policy
Document (1999), Melbourne, Australia.
Victims Referral & Assistance Service,
Department of Justice, Information forVictims of Crime, General Information
Booklet (1999), Melbourne, Australia.
Whitehouse Gazette Newspaper article
3 March, 1999 “Take the First Step to Stop
the Effects of Crime”, USA.

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