Celebrate Safe Communities a Coast-to-Coast Success

This year’s Crime Prevention Month was marked by Celebrate Safe Communities, which featured more than 150 local events in 36 states and the District of Columbia; a unanimous Celebrate Safe Communities resolution by the U.S. Senate; and 12 state crime prevention proclamations.

By Terri Kelly, NCPC Staff

The inaugural year of Celebrate Safe Communities, the new Crime Prevention Month initiative, featured the participation of more than 150 communities in 36 states and Washington, DC. The initiative, a partnership of NCPC; the National Sheriffs’ Association; and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, reached hundreds of thousands of citizens of all ages with vital information on how to stay safe from crime. In addition, the governors of a dozen states issued crime prevention proclamations, and the U.S. Senate passed a CSC resolution by unanimous vote. This enthusiastic response to Crime Prevention Month and CSC is an affirmation of the importance of safety and crime prevention to all Americans.

CSC is intended to spotlight communities’ crime prevention efforts, enhance public awareness of vital crime prevention and safety messages, and recruit year-round support for ongoing prevention activities that help keep individuals, families, and neighborhoods safe from crime. Law enforcement and their community partners such as Neighborhood Watch groups daily confront crime-related challenges that include home burglary, vandalism of properties vacated by foreclosure, vehicle theft, gang violence, child predators, school safety problems, and preventing terrorism.

“It’s inspiring to see involvement from all levels in this initiative,” said Al Lenhardt, president and CEO of NCPC. “When it comes to crime prevention, it’s everyone’s responsibility to watch out and help out. Law enforcement needs the support of their communities and local government officials to truly succeed in the fight against crime.”

On the national level, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 662, designating October 2-4, 2008, as Celebrate Safe Communities Week to raise awareness of the need for crime prevention across the country.

Communities from coast to coast tailored their celebrations to address their own concerns and priorities. Some jurisdictions, such as Loudon County, VA, and Virginia Beach, VA, issued proclamations to emphasize the ongoing efforts of their law enforcement agencies and encourage everyone in the community to get informed and get involved.

A snapshot of successful CSC events includes those listed below.

• Washington, DC – The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority partnered with McGruff to share safety tips with subway riders at a variety of stations each Thursday in October.
• Miami-Dade County, FL – Fourteen different sites throughout the region held block parties, Neighborhood Watch recruitment drives, and events honoring community safety volunteers.
• Kentucky – Seventeen community events included police-fire department collaborations on crime and fire safety education; workshops for residents on preventing home burglaries; safety assessments of local parks; and the launch of a local public-private safety coalition.
• Maryland – Potomac Elementary School held a bullying awareness day for children and provided additional information to parents on how to keep kids safe at school and online, while the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney sponsored teen dating violence awareness sessions in local churches in connection with Domestic Violence Prevention Month.
• New Mexico – Cannon Air Force Base held a community-wide information fair to help launch its Neighborhood Watch recruitment drive and provide child fingerprinting kits to service members and their families.

To learn more, visit www.celebratesafecommunities.org.