Developing a knowledge base for crime prevention

Lessons learned from the British experience

During the past 20 years, there have been several initiatives, led by the British government, to improve crime prevention by informing policy and practice with research. Two in particular stand out for the scale of the investment: The first was the establishment of the Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) in 1999. The CRP was supposed both to be based on what was already known from research and also to improve the evidence base and was scheduled to run for a decade. The CRP involved an unprecedented financial commitment to improving the knowledge base of crime prevention. The second was the establishment of the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction (WWCCR) in 2013.

Source: Tilley, N., & Laycock, G. (2018). Developing a knowledge base for crime prevention: lessons learned from the British experience. Crime Prevention and Community Safety. Read more here.