The Crime Prevention Month Kit 2008–2009 focuses on Celebrate Safe Communities, including this cover letter.

Dear Crime Prevention Practitioner,

If one person can make a difference, many people working together can make a huge difference when it comes to crime prevention. That is why we are enlisting citizens to join the crime prevention movement through our new initiative, Celebrate Safe Communities. A section of this annual Crime Prevention Month Kit is dedicated to this program.

There is no denying that crime is present in one form or another in our communities. Crime rates may be up or down, in big cities or small, in one part of the country or another. And overall crime rates may be lower than they were years ago. But national statistics are little comfort to those who are directly affected by crime. Twenty-three million Americans are victims of crime every year, and of those, 5.2 million are victims of violent crime. In 2005, the total economic loss to victims was $1.4 billion for violent crime and $15.6 billion for property crime. These are costs in human life and resources that we simply can’t afford.

Celebrate Safe Communities (CSC) is a U.S. Department of Justice-supported initiative that the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is carrying out in partnership with the National Sheriffs’ Association. It is designed to help 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 will help keep neighborhoods safe from crime. This initiative will help communities organize safety-focused events. Local CSC activities held in October, especially during the October 2–4, 2008, kickoff days of Crime Prevention Month, will help Americans of all ages recognize that a safer community is no accident and that crime prevention is everyone’s business every day of the year.

Community leaders and volunteers who wish to undertake Celebrate Safe Communities events will have expert advice available to them. NCPC and the National Sheriffs’ Association will provide communities with event planning advice, tools for educating residents of all ages, a guide on recruiting and retaining community safety volunteers, a kit to help build awareness of CSC through the local news media, an array of promotional ideas, and an opportunity to apply for awards recognizing outstanding local CSC initiatives. To receive assistance through this initiative, your community must register and provide a brief description of planned activities. Just go to www.celebratesafecommunities.org.

Celebrate Safe Communities reflects our commitment to take back our country from crime, one neighborhood at a time. Whether it’s a graffiti paint-out, a march through a drug-infested neighborhood, a picnic for kids starring McGruff the Crime Dog®, an anti-bullying campaign at a local school, or a program to help seniors in a crime-ridden community, citizens can help reclaim our neighborhoods and make them better places to live, work, learn, and play.

Alfonso E. Lenhardt
President and CEO
National Crime Prevention Council