Crime prevention is not a single program but an approach that both deters crime and enhances community health. Crime prevention deals with both immediate situations and causes that are far removed in time and space. It deals with fear that paralyzes communities and their residents and saps civic lifeblood. A community is a gathering of people who live in the same area or who share interests. A residential neighborhood, a high-rise, apartment or office building a school, a church, a professional society or a civic network can be a community.
Communities are central to the concept and practice of crime prevention.
Our definitions of community have shifted to encompass more than just the place of residence which has made the idea of community even more important. Freedom from crime is important in ALL our communities.