The People Who Keep Us Safe

Message From the President and CEO

By Alfonso E. Lenhardt

Each November we celebrate national Thanksgiving and take time to give thanks for all our blessings. This year, with our most successful Crime Prevention Month just ended, I would like to thank the people who make crime prevention such an enduring, important, and triumphant force. Crime prevention has shown again and again that it can not only save lives and communities and keep people safe, but it can save money too. Without the perseverance, commitment, and courage of the people who commit their paid and volunteer time to help stave off crime, we could never be so successful.

This year, Crime Prevention Month included a new initiative, Celebrate Safe Communities. Celebrate Safe Communities, a partnership of NCPC, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, was intended to inspire local safety initiatives. And it did just that, with more than 150 events in 36 states and the District of Columbia. (See the article about Celebrate Safe Communities under “Our Top Stories” elsewhere in this issue of Catalyst.) It was truly a national event in which all those who took part—volunteers working, in most cases, with local law enforcement—can take great pride in spurring community action to prevent crime.

Volunteers, in fact, are the lifeblood of crime prevention. Whether taking part in a Neighborhood Watch or block watch, organizing citizens to keep their communities safe, mentoring young children whose parents are incarcerated, or teaching senior citizens about how to keep safe from fraud, volunteers do many things in many ways to ensure that people can live, learn, work, and play in safety. We have volunteers and staff in our own NCPC family to thank as well: those who look out and watch out in McGruff Houses or drive McGruff Trucks, and the teachers and counselors who see that children learn early about crime prevention in McGruff Clubs.

Many others are essential to preventing crime. The officer on the beat. Social workers. The counselors who work with runaway children. The clergy and other community leaders who operate programs for teens and see that their energy is put to good use. School resource officers.

As 2009 approaches and we begin to focus on the year ahead, I would like to acknowledge the thoughtfulness, guidance, and generosity of NCPC’s Board of Directors. These men and women make substantial contributions of their time, wisdom, and experience to ensure that we steer a steady course at a time when the nature of crime and society are changing so quickly that we must be both lithe and agile in responding to challenges.

Moreover, the U.S. Department of Justice deserves thanks for its steadfast leadership and support of crime prevention initiatives across the country. Likewise, Congress has been generous through the years in its support of this organization and crime prevention in general. We are deeply appreciative of the support of each.

Our corporate partners provide services and benefits and a source of funds. We are grateful for their support. We are most honored by the contributions of all our donors, large and small. It is because of them that we can launch and operate crime prevention programs, support community efforts, publish educational resources, be the national voice for crime prevention, and serve as the national center of excellence for all crime prevention issues. (To make it easier to donate, there is now a “Donate Now” link in the masthead of Catalyst.)

This year, like any year, all of you who have been involved in crime prevention have done superb and tireless work. But we can’t rest on our laurels. I challenge you to continue on your mission and keep up the good fight because our successes will be threatened in the months ahead by the worsening economy and the blight that foreclosures may bring to many neighborhoods. Both of these could contribute to a rise in crime.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I would like to thank you for all that you have done and for your continuing commitment to crime prevention. Your efforts are deeply appreciated by all of us here at NCPC—and by your fellow citizens as well.