A Partial History of Localised Crime Prevention in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

This article charts the recent history (approximately 30 years) of localised approaches to crime prevention in New South Wales ('NSW'), Australia. This partial history demonstrates the active involvement of local government in championing local forms of crime prevention and demonstrates the important role played by youth justice advocates and the focus on youth crime prevention in aiding the establishment of crime prevention infrastructure. While support continues for local approaches to crime prevention in NSW, there is some evidence of growing centralisation and a narrowing of the focus away from community development interventions to hotspots and situational prevention. More democratically developed, locally generated prevention approaches have been increasingly replaced by 'evidence-based' approaches.