There is growing interest and support for the role of crime prevention in containing and reducing crime in the community. Crime prevention is seen as more cost-effective than conventional approaches but is often undeveloped or limited to a support role. Some commentators argue the shift from crime "fighting" [reactive policing] to crime prevention, community and "problem" [proactive] policing is one of the most significant developments in law enforcement in recent times. How does crime prevention work in the community? What value is attached to situational [e.g. target hardening, CCTV surveillance and high risk offender identification] and primary prevention approaches [e.g. early intervention with 'at risk' populations]? The celebrated "zero tolerance" approach championed by the NYPD was credited with significant reductions in crime in New York in the 1990s but has also been the subject of substantial criticism as a policing method and as a truly effective means of reducing crime. This seminar seeks to inform and debate the issues raised by the role of crime prevention in modern policing.

Programme:
 

10.00 am	Registration and Welcome
10.10 am	Introduction: Mr. David Hodson Director, Centre for Criminology
10.15 am	"Crime Prevention Programmes in Hong Kong" Superintendent Simon Roberts, HKPF Crime Prevention Bureau
10.40 am	"Crime Analysis and Crime Prevention - The Zero Tolerance Controversy" Dr. Adam Graycar, Director, Australian Institute of Criminology
11.25 am	Panel Discussants: Prof. KC Wong, CUHK Mr. Simon Bronitt, Dr. Fu Hua Ling, Department of Law, HKU
12.00 Noon	Panel and Q&A
12.30 pm	Close

Guest Speaker: Professor Adam Graycar BA, Ph.D., D.Litt. FASSA has been the Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology, Canberra since 1994 and is Adjunct Professor in Social Work and Social Policy at the University of Queensland. He was Australia's first Commissioner for the Ageing, 1985-1990 an agency of the Government of South Australia and the first Director of the Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales. He has worked extensively on policies effecting the aged and has a special interest in crime and the elderly. His research interests include crime and social policy, the relationship between policy and best practice in the criminal justice. He is the author of books and papers in prestigious journals.