October is Crime Prevention Month!

Next month, cities and towns across the country will celebrate all the ways they keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime.

By Kelsey Tokar, NCPC Staff

Each year, citizens and communities across the country celebrate October as Crime Prevention Month. Whether your neighborhood has been hit by crime or escaped unscathed, taking part in Crime Prevention Month is a great way to help keep your community safe. With October right around the corner, now is the time to start planning how you will contribute.

Celebrate Safe Communities (CSC) will kick off Crime Prevention Month on October 1. CSC helps local communities get involved in preventing crime through locally held events and activities. On October 1-3, communities everywhere will be celebrating crime prevention through their own unique events. CSC helps communities pair up with their local law enforcement or other safety officials to plan a safety event exclusive to their community. If you would like to register your community for a CSC event, you can do so now. You may register your event, scope out what other communities are doing, or download tips on how to get your neighborhood involved in crime prevention by visiting the Celebrate Safe Communities website.

Crime Prevention Month is not only the perfect time to get your community involved, but also a great time to get together, have fun, and learn. No matter how big or small, every city, town, or neighborhood should be aware of important safety issues and how to respond to them.

Crime prevention is everyone’s business, not just a concern for law enforcement agencies. An overarching goal of Crime Prevention Month is to stress the role that each individual and neighborhood group truly plays in crime prevention. As NCPC President and CEO Alfonso E. Lenhardt explained, “Crime Prevention Month is an appropriate time to celebrate those who have worked hard to make their neighborhoods safe. As we continue to hear the inspiring stories of individuals and organizations who dedicate their time to community safety, we are reminded that crime prevention is something that each and every individual can take part in, and truly help in making our communities safer places for everyone.”

So how can you get your neighborhood involved in Crime Prevention Month? There is no one right way to participate. It all depends on what role you’d like to play. If you have the time to play only a small role, presenting crime prevention tips or links to various crime prevention websites on your own site are great ways to spread the word. However, if large-scale events are more your style, ask your local police or fire department to host a community safety event or organize a safety parade and invite McGruff. To arrange for an appearance by McGruff in your area, contact your local law enforcement agency or NCPC’s Jeff Broderson at jbroderson@ncpc.org. For even more ideas on what you can do during Crime Prevention Month, visit NCPC's Crime Prevention Month Web page. Anyway that you choose to get involved in Crime Prevention Month is critical to spreading the message that crime prevention is everyone’s business!