Research project The non-governmental organization of crime prevention

Working title: Night patrolling and the non-governmental organization of crime prevention

Criminal policies have in later decades stressed the importance of collaboration between the public, municipalities, and governmental agencies, evident in the formation of new crime prevention programs. The political emphasis on public responsibility in questions of crime prevention include encouragements to organize and maintain non-profit associations, primarily centered around issues of safety and voluntary community policing. This has been materialized in so-called ‘Night patrols’ and ‘Safety walks’. Through an ethnographic approach, this thesis aims to cast light upon the ways in which local and voluntary crime prevention is initiated, organized and practiced, and furthermore, how these practices are intertwined with notions of security, responsibility, and community.