Crime and delinquency in metropolitan cities: foreign perspectives of crime prevention

Introduction: this study is a logical continuation of the scientific publication Foreign Experience in Crime Prevention in the XXI Century (2020). The article analyzes the best practices in the prevention of crimes and other offenses in the urban environment in the context of urbanization. Tactical and strategic features of crime prevention in modern megacities, ways to reduce crime and minimize victim behavior are revealed. In this paper, the authors pay attention to the effective use of urban design opportunities in order to minimize criminogenic risks. Materials and Methods: in the course of the study, general scientific and special methods were used: logical, comparative legal, system-structural, statistical, as well as content analysis of Russian and foreign sources. Results: modern opportunities for crime prevention in the urban environment include: a developed system of emergency calls for specialized services, improvement of social services, redevelopment of public spaces, establishment of mechanisms for resolving ethnic and confessional tensions in society, formation of a culture of preventing such conflicts. These include tools for assessing criminogenic risks, public safety audit, analysis of the geography of distribution of various types of crimes. Examples of cities with a low level of street crime show that historically established traditional models of low-rise housing construction are safer than modern residential areas with high-rise buildings. In modern megacities, the criminogenic factor and causes of crime include: social inequality, unemployment, corruption, economic, cultural, environmental problems, etc. Discussion and Conclusions: the paper substantiates the need to introduce new approaches to training and retraining of law enforcement specialists that meet modern standards in crime prevention, aimed at changing the strategy and tactics of crime prevention in megacities, cities and large regional centers. The foreign experience of urban planning policy in combination with security and social development tools is shown. The need for further scientific developments in urban planning and crime prevention is noted.