National Crime Prevention Council

Abstract

The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is arguably the best known and best funded private nonprofit organization devoted to the reduction of crime and the promotion of personal and community safety in the United States today. Through their publications, conferences, the McGruff campaign, and other activities, NCPC's impact extends worldwide, influencing mass media safety campaigns and crime prevention programs in thousands of communities in several dozen countries. The roots of NCPC go back to the 1970s when there were a number of federal, state, and local initiatives to address issues of crime in a so-called proactive as opposed to reactive manner. Public concern about crime and safety had risen to alarming levels. Through funds available from the now-defunct Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, various local, state, and regional associations of crime prevention police officers had begun, and programs such as Neighborhood Watch were widely promoted.