Under the Safer Cities Program, UNODC and UNHABITAT have issued
a handbook to help prevent crime in cities and towns. The
handbook, entitled Introductory Handbook on Policing Urban Space
provides policy makers and practitioners, including government
officials, police, municipal planners and members of civic
groups, with strategies and good governance practices to help
understand crime and crime prevention patterns in order to
better control crime trends in rapidly growing cities in low-
and middle-income countries. Among the promising practices
highlighted in the handbook are: state officials must establish
links between police and other state institutions in order to
effectively incorporate security concerns into wider government
efforts; city planners should contribute to discussions about
security and develop relations with police; and collaboration
between urban planners, civil society, government officials,
police and communities is essential in combating crime. The
handbook examines a variety of crime c