Preventing Crime & Creating Safer Communities
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Crime Prevention Information & News

Creating Safer Communities in Europe: a crime prevention sourcebook

SWITZERLAND

According to the International Crime Survey (Van Dijk 1990, 1992) Switzerland has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe (see Clinard 1978 for a detailed discussion of why this might be). This is despite the fact that it has the highest level of gun possession in Europe (as a consequence of all fit males being required to be on call for the national defence force). However, at least one researcher (Balvig 1987) has questioned whether the country is quite as crime free as claimed. These doubts are also reinforced by an international self-report delinquency study (Junger-Tas et al 1994) in which 90% of all young Swiss respondents admitted to delinquent behaviour - one of the highest rates in Europe.

Switzerland is a Confederation of states, called "cantons". Crime prevention is mainly considered to be the task of the police. For many years each Canton organised its own crime prevention programme.  Part of the task has now been transferred to the boroughs. However in the late 70s the need for co-ordination arose. In 1982 the Swiss Cantonal Police decided to set up a "Co-ordinating Office for the Prevention of Criminality" (SKV). They organised a project team consisting of police and government representatives.

Priorities in crime prevention activity

The task of the Project Team is to organise prevention campaigns and inform the media. The themes are chosen by the Heads of Criminal Police Conference and the projects must have the approval of the Cantonal Ministers of Justice and Police Conference. The Project Team also sets up a yearly National Prevention day. Recently, at the initiative of the French and Italian speaking cantons, a new means of prevention was put into operation. It consists of providing the general public with information on crime and effective prevention. It is available on "VIDEOTEXT", through which people can get all sorts of information from a databank. The information provided by the police is available in French, German and Italian. As well as displaying advice on means of protection against various crimes, it gives addresses and advice of who to turn to after a crime has been committed. The VIDEOTEXT transmits statistical data too. It is updated regularly.

The crime prevention programme is financed by each Canton, according to the number of inhabitants and offers information and advice on dealing with: burglary and theft in general, cars and motorcycle theft, violence, drugs and physical security. Crime prevention research in Switzerland has found that a good prevention programme must be adapted to each target group and its linguistic and regional characteristics, in order to ensure efficiency.

Elimination of the open drug scene in Zurich
A derelict station in Zurich was used as a location for open drug dealing. through co-ordination between the police, social and health workers, the problem was tackled at two levels - elimination and assistance. The location was closed down by police who then maintained a visible presence in the area. Help was offered by health and social services department to addicts, by the opening of two refuges,  and by offering rehabilitation and addiction management programmes. 

Contact:
Ms. Anne Imobersteg, Federal Office of Justice, Bern, Switzerland.

Schweizerische Koordinationstelle fur Verbrechenspravention (SKV) (Swiss Co-ordinating Team for Crime Prevention) Fbg de L'Hopital 3, PO box 493, CH-2001, Neuchatel, Switzerland.