Preventing Crime & Creating Safer Communities
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Crime Prevention Information & News

Creating Safer Communities in Europe: a crime prevention sourcebook

CYPRUS

The crime prevention system in Cyprus operates at a national level, but regional and local needs are always taken into consideration.

Crime Prevention at the national level

Crime Prevention is an inter-ministerial concern in Cyprus. For example a committee to tackle the problem of illicit drugs includes representatives from all the relevant Ministries and public service departments, plus the Church and the Private Sector. The Ministry of Justice's Criminological Research Unit deals with the science and practice of crime prevention. In Cyprus, crime prevention is not regulated by laws or other legal instruments but is nevertheless related to the activities of the criminal justice system.

Crime prevention programmes

The National Committee for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Trafficking has developed a plan of national and local initiatives. Within this framework the following activities were undertaken: 

• Lectures throughout the island given by specialists to students, pupils, Youth Centres, Sports Clubs, the National Guard, Cultural Organisations etc;
• Special programs for radio and TV and appropriate articles in the press;
• Co-operation with the Federation of Parents Associations. Training programs for teachers in Secondary Schools;
• Training for personnel who work at the Direct Telephone Response Service on Drugs, plus volunteers and professional groups.

In parallel with the action programme, the committee has commissioned research into the attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and practices, in relation to drugs, of a sample of 3537 college students/14-18 years old and a sample of 1500 soldiers/18-20 years old.

A number of Social Crime Prevention Strategies and Measures are directed at tackling the causes of crime. The focus is principally on family, employment and youth.

• Family Support Programmes operate under various Ministries and they include parental guidance and education. The focal point of this policy is the strengthening of the family, as it is recognised that the effective functioning of families is a crucial determinant in preventing delinquency.
• Adult Education Centres offer adults courses on personality development, interpersonal relationship, preparation for marriage, couple relations, the role of parents, relations between sexes, etc.
• The employment "special apprentice" scheme offers technical training to young employees.
• The Counselling and Guidance Service in secondary school offers personal, educational and vocational guidance and information to students and their parents.
• The Agency for Youth follows the strategy of introducing preventive programmes on specific youth related problems such as Drugs and AIDS, and offers services and facilities for young people - cultural, leisure activities, training, etc.

Situational crime prevention measures

Research has been recently conducted on situational crime preventive measures, with the involvement of the community, governmental agencies and the private sector.

Specialist Crime Prevention officers of the Police aim to:

• inform the public on preventive measures relating to the security of property;
• co-operate with various organisations over the effective performance of preventive measures, e.g.. manufacturers of locks to raise the security level of locks, the importers of alarm systems, insurance companies etc.

Contact:

Mr A Malaos and Mr I Anastasiadou, Ministry of Justice and Public Order, Nicosia, Cyprus.