Violent crime tragically ruins lives and communities, yet we know how to stop it and help victims. Governments agree on how to get results at the United Nations, but do not act locally.



Science and Secrets of Ending Violent Crime is the result of a lifetime career working to get violence prevention science applied and frustration with too many preventable tragedies. Irvin Waller explains the proven solutions that tackle the causes of violence, and, ways to persuade politicians to buy-in to invest in the appropriate solutions. Investing in effective violence prevention is more affordable and successful than policymakers think; a modest equivalent of 10 percent of what they spend on police, courts, and corrections will do it and often before the next election! Violence prevention is achievable because voters, contrary to what the media tells us, want much more than reaction, they want prevention.



Irvin Waller shines a light on the challenges of violent crime, and shows how to reduce and ultimately stop it by considering how governments spend our money, manage our cities, and legislate our community safety. Waller brings the truth to the reader, increasing not only their knowledge of the problem at hand but introducing practical ways to get more involved in making our world free from violence.

Irvin Waller, PhD, is emeritus professor of criminology at the University of Ottawa. He has a long history of being consulted on crime policy and victim rights by political leaders on every continent and by international organizations, including the European Union and the Inter-American Development Bank. His passion and knowledge have made him a featured speaker and media resource around the world in English, French and Spanish. Waller first addressed crime prevention and rights for crime victims inBurglary: The Victim and the Public (1978). This influenced his work as a senior official for the Canadian government where he was in charge of presenting research that led to the abolition of the death penalty, the control of firearms and first policies for victims of crime. It brought him into the small network of pioneers of the US and international movement to protect rights for victims of crime. His trail blazing work to get the UN General Assembly to recognize rights for victims earned him multiple awards, including from the US National Organization for Victim Assistance. This magna carta for victim rights is influencing advances across the world still today. In 1994, he became the founding director general of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime, established by Canada and France and affiliated with the UN. His leadership brought notoriety to the Centre and funding from the US Department of Justice, the British Home Office, and other governments in Europe. He was honored with the Captain of Crime Prevention Award by the Belgian Ministry of the Interior in 1996 and recognition from the Centres supporting governments in 2000. He has served on task forces in South Africa (for the Mandela government), Canada and the USA and been recognized by Mexico in 2016 for his contributions to crime policy in Latin America. He has led the World Society of Victimology and the International Organization for Victim Assistance, both in special consultative status with ECOSOC. He has served on the board and advised international childrens rights and urban safety organizations. He is the author ofSmarter Crime Control: A Guide to a Safer Future for Citizens, Communities and Politicians(R&L, 2013),Rights for Victims of Crimes: Rebalancing Justice(R&L, 2010) andLess Law, More Order: The Truth about Reducing Crime(2006).

Acknowledgments



Preface



Introduction: From Effective Solutions to Ending Violent Crime



PART I THE CHALLENGE OF VIOLENT CRIME



1 Too Many Tragedies



PART II THE SCIENCE OF EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS



2 Violence Prevention Science at Our Fingertips



3 Smarter Use of Police and Prisons



4 Helping Youth Flourish Upstream



5 Gendering Safety



6 Putting Victims at Zenith



PART III ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESSFUL



IMPLEMENTATION



7 Governments Agree on Essentials



8 Learning from Early Adopters



9 Cities Leading the Way



PART IV SECRETS TO GET BUY-IN



10 Big Benefits from Smart Investment



11 Affordable and Achievable



12 Marketing Political Buy-In



Epilogue: The Time Has Come



Notes



Appendix: Figures and Their Sources



Principal Sources



Index



About the Author