NEWS

         

As a founding member of CIPC (International Centre for the Prevention of Crime), METROPOLIS was in Palermo from 17 to 19 November, where the 11th International Colloquium was held. A number of member cities, including Barcelona , Brussels, Madrid and Montreal attended this international event, which focused on crime prevention in a world on the move.

People’s increasing mobility is a phenomenon that is growing around the world. Although migration has always existed, cities, the main destination, find they need to tackle new challenges in the management and governance of urban spaces, rethinking them from a comprehensive perspective.

As consultant and criminologist Margaret Shaw said, migration is a process to be managed instead of a problem to be solved. 21st-century prevention policies must be configured as inclusive security policies capable of delivering on the urban challenges of a globalized world. New citizens arrive with different needs and the city where they settle and where they are often unequally distributed must set itself up as the main actor in promoting social cohesion.

International data highlight a rise in migration among women and children in recent years. Indigenous groups are also being forced to migrate to cities. The colloquium discussed the need to apply cross-cutting gender policies to the definition of city policies to particularly care for disadvantaged groups who face discrimination in their countries of origin, transit and destination.

While migration levels are rising around the world, international figures show that crime rates are falling. However, the feeling of lack of safety on the part of the public has grown. To combat the myths that surround the arrival of immigrants to our cities, Barcelona outlined, by way of example, the Anti-Rumor strategy (http://www.bcnantirumors.cat/ ) it implemented four years ago in conjunction with other organizations and associations.

Brussels presented its prevention and safety policies, emphasizing the need for cities to harmonize sanctions for crimes committed, particularly within the same country.

Another member city present at the colloquium was Montreal. The city councilor responsible for safety, who is also the councilor from the most conflictive neighborhood, Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension, presented the actions undertaken in recent years to make the district less stigmatized.

The city of Madrid was also present at the colloquium, with a representative from the municipal police.

The International Centre for the Prevention of Crime is the only international forum for the exchange of experiences and specialized knowledge on crime prevention and day-to-day safety.