A project on local safety and security in Slovenia by Gorazd Meško, Urška Pirnat and Andrej Kastrin

1. A project on local safety and security in Slovenia
(2016-2018)
Gorazd Meško, Urška Pirnat and Andrej Kastrin
Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security
University of Maribor

2. Goals of this presentation
• A brief overview of previous research projects.
• Goals of a research project on safety/security in local communities in
Slovenia.
• To present findings from a research project on safety in Ljubljana,
Slovenia.
• To discuss further research in the field of local safety/security –
towards human security/resilient communities.

3. Goals of a project safety and security in local
communities (2015-2018)
Goals of the project are to analyze:
legal issues regarding safety and security in local communities;
safety issues in local communities (crime and disorder, victimization fear of
crime surveys);
solutions for safety and security issues in local communities (national/local
safety);
institutions and their powers in providing safety and security in local
communities (powers of national and local institutions);
quality of life in local communities and social prevention (a wellbeing
study);
good practices of ensuring local safety and security.

4. What have we learnt so far?
• Ideals… ambitions... indications... A variety
of stories about understanding local
safety&security, priorities in responses,
partnerships, legal and social control
traditions, ability to adapt to new
circumstances, accepting new challenges,
trusting each other... “United we stand,
divided we fall”?... Authoritarian
communitarianism vs “moral minimalism”.
• Challenges: Changes in perception of threats
to our societies, communities, changes in
social control, (in)tolerance, cascade events -
terrorist attacks, refugee crisis, riots, natural
disasters, economy - austerity measures,
reduction of institutional capacity, public
private-partnerships, plural policing,
militatisation of the functions on the police...

5. Findings from the previous research projects
• EU
• CRIMPREV – assessment of deviance in Europe
and crime prevention (2006-2009)
• EEMUS/EFUS project -safety and security in
local communities in Europe (cooperation with
the EFUS since 2004) (2004-2013)
• URBIS – urban security management in Europe
(2011-2014)
• SLO
• Distribution of deviance in Ljubljana (2002-
2003)
• Fear of crime and the role of police in local
safety/security provision (3 perspectives –
local residents, police, and local government),
2010-2012
• Legitimacy of policing (2013-2016)

6. Local safety councils in Slovenia (local safety audits)
(following recommendations of the EFUS)
• Setting the context with an overview of the municipality’s
demographic, economic and other characteristics;
• Analysing crime and violence as well as related problems such
as disorder and incivilities;
• Profiling victims and offenders, including gender, age, ethno-
cultural and socio-economic patterns of these groups;
• Investigating patterns of risk factors that are likely to
contribute to the occurrence of crime and violence;
• Appraising the effectiveness of projects and services – such as
health, housing, welfare and education – in relation to
prevention;
• Assessing the political and institutional environment to
identify opportunities fro developing preventive action;
• Identifying opportunities, strengths and potential of the area,
including social capital, civil society, and existing projects on
which a future strategy may be built.

7. Knowing and understanding
• Police statistics – just a starting point (the
amount of recorded crime, the patterns of crime,
the places of crime occurrence, the crime rates of
specific crimes, the crime trends, comparison
between local communities, clear-up rates…)
• Use of secondary sources (not just about crime –
statistical data on socio-economic status, etc.)
• Qualitative data (focus groups, visioning – talking
about the future, exploratory walks, social media
and apps to gather information – resident quality
of life etc.)
• Victimisation surveys – community crime surveys
(also cyber victimisation)
• Fear of crime studies (fear, experience with the
police, CJ system, social capital, social efficacy)
• Well-being studies (quality of life)

8. Evidence based approach:
Analysis, action, evaluation
• Local safety audit (analysis – proposal of
priorities)
• Governance and sustainability (institutional
capacity, participative action)
• Methods and tools of implementation
(implementation of prevention and
evaluation)

9. Research activities (2015-2018)
• 2015 – a literature review, 1st national conference on local
safety
• 2016 – 2nd wave of police self-legitimacy study (2013-
2016)
• 2016 – drafting questionnaires for a community survey, 2nd
national conference on local safety
• 2016 – 2017 a bilateral project (SLO-USA)
• 2016-2018 – a bilateral project (SLO-RU)
• 2017 – data collection (a representative study)
• 2017 – 3rd national conference on local safety
• 2018 – final analysis and publications.

10. Crime, Social processes and
Perception in Local Communities
• A survey conducted in the municipality of
Ljubljana (the capital, urban municipality, 272.000
inhabitants). The survey - 69 statements / a four
point scale – 1 absolutely disagree/4 absolutely
agree + demographic variables.
• Data collection from October to December 2016.
• Quota sampling: N= 1000, (2 neighbourhoods in
each city district (5 districts) ‘”more/less
problematic”, 200 respondents in each district).
• Less/more problematic areas were defined
together with the police – visits of police stations
(police statistics - number of criminal and public
disorder offences reported to the police +
interviews with police chiefs and community
policing officers).

11. Preliminary analyses – confirmatory FA & t-test
• Police procedural justice (CA 0.91)
• Police effectiveness (CA 0.89)
• Cooperation with the police (CA 0.76)
• Attitudes towards immigrants (CA 0.87)
• Value orientation of respondents (CA 0.84)
• Criminal events in neighbourhood (CA 0.73)
• Trust/social cohesion (CA 0.52)
• Public disorder (social & physical) (CA 0.82)
• Young people/disorder (CA 0.81)
• Obeying laws (CA 0.83)
• Social prevention (CA 0.75)

12. Discussion at police stations
• Visits of the studied areas with the police officers.
• Interviews with community policing officers and police
chiefs.
• Police annual reports/districts (2016) – for the report
of the police directorate to be presented at the city of
Ljubljana safety council in 2017.

13. Local safety councils – beyond crime and
disorder
• Participant observation (Meško & Lobnikar 2005; Meško et al, 2012,
work in progress). 203 local safety councils have been established in
local communities (municipalities) since 1997.
• Presentation of research findings in Ljubljana (since 2003)
• Annual safety and security plans (local governments, police and other
stakeholders) – evidence based priority setting (research, official
statistics & discussion – short-term policies).
• Meetings – at least once a year (not just crime and disorder but also
other areas of human security – floods, fire safety, urban planning –
similar to CPTED, role of NGOs, local residents...)
• Similar to the EFUS security audits. 20 years of local safety councils in
Slovenia.

14. Concluding remarks – challenges
• Understanding of crime and related problems, and their causes to develop a
preventive strategy.
• Recognition that crime results from a complex interaction of social, economic,
legislative, environmental and other factors.
• Modelling and contributing to good municipal governance and sustainable
development.
• Respect to the law and human rights to promote a culture of lawfulness.
• Strong commitment of stakeholders with competence in relevant policy areas.
• A participative approach that involves engagement with civil society and community.
• Positive action is needed to ensure the voices of the poor, marginalised and most
victimised people are heard, knowing that official data provide just a shallow
perspective.
• Gender sensitivity and incorporation the distinctive perspective related to minorities
and young people.
• Identify relevant assets in the area, including social capital and successful projects.
• Vigilantism or increased punitivity should not be supported and increased.

15. Further research
• Victimization surveys (revival of the ICVS) – no
data on criminal victimization since 2001
(Slovenia).
• Migration/xenophobia – cultural conflict and
conflict resolution (local problems in a wider EU
environment).
• Cybercrime – perception/victimization (also
needs to become a part of the ICVS) –
real/virtual worlds have become one – a social
construction of reality.
• Protection of the environment (green
criminology).
• Changes in policing – militarization of the police
forces, policization of the military.
• Social/health policies -”root causes of crime”.

16. Think globally, solve locally.
Thank you for your attention!
What works, what doesn’t and what is promising… (Sherman et al, 1997)
We add... to whom, in what circumstances and at what price...?