Belgian Conference on Citizen Participation in Crime Prevention: Presentations

On 30 May 2024, Belgium organised an international conference on citizen engagement in crime prevention at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels. Representatives and experts in crime prevention from 22 EU Member States joined numerous Belgian representatives of national and local authorities, police, prevention workers, coordinators of Neighbourhood Information Networks, and academics . The common objective of this conference was to contribute to creating safer and more resilient societies through the active involvement of citizens and volunteers.

Throughout the day, presentations given by experts from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden discussed various aspects of citizen participation in security and crime prevention. The participants took a closer look at initiatives such as neighbourhood information networks (BIN-PLPs), community-based policing initiatives, neighbourhood safety surveys and neighbourhood mediation.

The conference provided a platform for discussing strategies and sharing good practices that enable citizens to play a more active role in protecting their neighbourhoods, not only in Belgium but across Europe. Learning from each other can strengthen existing projects and inspire potential new initiatives to make the integrated approach to security a success story.

The presentations are now available.