The workshop identified twelve ingredients which go to make up a successful crime prevention partnership and produce effective crime prevention and community safety outcomes. This means undertaking a comprehensive crime audit looking not only at the problems of crime but also collecting information about offenders, identifying gaps in the existing crime prevention services and looking at what the different options are to tackle particular problems. The more that is understood about the nature and extent of the crime problems in a particular locality, the better the crime prevention measures can be planned and tailored to the local situation and hence the more likely the measures are to succeed. Local partnership groups or steering bodies often find it difficult to get started. Part of the reason for the long lead in time from the formation of the partnership to action on the ground is not simply a matter of gathering resources but it is also about arriving at a common philosophy and understanding about crime prevention.
Different partners have different perspectives about what crime prevention means.
In Britain for example we use a variety of terms to describe our work - crime prevention, crime management, crime reduction and community safety. Whilst these terms might all have specific meanings to experts, they are largely indistinguishable to most informed members of the public and practitioners. Their usage illustrates the need to have a much clearer and sharper understanding of what crime prevention is about. Partnership committees need to spend time working out a common understanding about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what their particular agencies have to contribute. Vital to the success of any partnership is the issue of leadership.