The goal of crime prevention is to decrease crime and increase security. All action that prevents crime is crime prevention. What is key in crime prevention is specifically the prevention of the harm caused by crime.

Two strategies

There are two principal types of strategies in crime prevention:

• preventing crime and
• preventing individuals from becoming offenders or continuing to commit crime.

Both strategies should be used in order to achieve far-reaching and lasting results. The National Crime Prevention Program aims at a combined crime prevention policy consisting of both strategies to prevent crime and to increase security.

A living community prevents crime and promotes security. Crime prevention should be developed specifically in local communities.

Also punishments prevent crime, but only to a limited extent. Preventing crime in advance is more effective than punishments.