Addressing Violent Crime: A Guide to Advancing Community Safety – American Legislative Exchange Council

Report on Crime Reduction Strategies and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Post-Pandemic Crime Trends and the Imperative for Sustainable Solutions

• A significant increase in violent crime, including homicides and carjackings, was observed across the United States during the pandemic period.
• While national trends show recent signs of stabilization, the rise in violence undermines progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
• This report evaluates crime reduction strategies through the lens of the SDGs, advocating for a holistic approach to public safety.

Evaluating Traditional Policies Through the Lens of SDG 16

• Conventional “tough on crime” policies, which emphasize punitive measures such as extended sentences, have demonstrated limited effectiveness in deterring violent crime.
• These approaches can conflict with SDG 16.3 (Promote the rule of law… and ensure equal access to justice) by creating cycles of incarceration and recidivism.
• Such cycles disproportionately impact marginalized communities, hindering the development of peaceful and inclusive societies and working against SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

The “Smart on Crime” Framework: A Strategy for Advancing SDG 16

• A “Smart on Crime” approach offers a more effective pathway to achieving the targets of SDG 16.
• This framework prioritizes the development of effective, accountable, and transparent institutions (SDG 16.6) by focusing on key principles:

1. Concentrating enforcement resources on the most serious violent offenders.
2. Integrating accountability with evidence-based strategies to reduce reoffending.
3. Ensuring law enforcement is adequately resourced to address violent crime, rather than being diverted to non-criminal or mental health-related calls.
4. Promoting transparent institutional funding models that do not rely on fines and fees, thereby enhancing public trust and institutional integrity.

Strategic Interventions for Safer Communities: Aligning with SDG 11 and SDG 16

• Proven strategies directly support the creation of safe, inclusive, and resilient urban environments as outlined in SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• These interventions also contribute directly to SDG 16.1 (Significantly reduce all forms of violence).
• Examples of successful, data-driven tactics include:

1. Hot Spot Policing: Concentrating police presence in high-crime micro-locations to deter violence, as demonstrated in cities like Boston and Cincinnati.
2. Blight Reduction: Improving the physical environment of communities to reduce opportunities for crime and foster safety, contributing to SDG 11.7 (Provide access to safe… public spaces).

Rehabilitation and Reintegration: Fostering Inclusive Societies (SDG 8, 10, & 16)

• A comprehensive approach to crime reduction must include robust back-end reforms that facilitate the successful reintegration of individuals into society.
• These reforms are critical for achieving several interconnected SDGs:

1. SDG 16: By breaking cycles of reoffending, these programs contribute to long-term peace and stability.
2. SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): They provide pathways for individuals to overcome systemic barriers and achieve social and economic inclusion.
3. SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Supporting the exit from a criminal lifestyle enables individuals to secure productive employment and contribute to the economy.

Conclusion: A Precision-Based Approach for Sustainable Peace and Justice

• The ultimate objective is not a binary choice between lenient or harsh policies but a more precise and intelligent strategy.
• By focusing on the underlying conditions that perpetuate violence, this approach aligns with the foundational principles of the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The goal is to reduce violence while ensuring the justice system remains fair, effective, and instrumental in building peaceful, just, and inclusive societies for all, as envisioned in SDG 16.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to two Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: This is the most relevant SDG, as the article’s core focus is on reducing violent crime, reforming the justice system to be more effective and fair, and ensuring law enforcement institutions are accountable and properly resourced. The text discusses strategies to break “cycles of conviction and reoffending” and ensure “justice remains fair and effective.”
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article connects crime reduction to community stability and urban environment improvement. The mention of “blight reduction” as a proven strategy to achieve “significant drops in shootings” directly links public safety with the physical and social health of communities, which is a central theme of SDG 11.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   • Explanation: The article opens by stating that “Violent crime rose sharply across the U.S. during the pandemic, particularly homicides and carjackings.” The entire premise of the “Smart on Crime” approach is to find more effective ways to reduce this violence.
2. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • Explanation: The article critiques policies that “increase long-term crime by driving more people into cycles of conviction and reoffending” and advocates for an approach where “justice remains fair and effective.” This directly relates to promoting a just and lawful system that reduces recidivism rather than perpetuating it.
3. Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
   • Explanation: The text calls for properly resourcing law enforcement and “ensuring departments are well-funded transparently, rather than through fines and fees.” This highlights the need for accountable and transparent public institutions (police departments) to build trust and function effectively.
4. Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces…
   • Explanation: The strategy of “blight reduction” is mentioned as a successful method for reducing violence. This strategy involves improving the physical environment of communities, which contributes to creating safer public spaces and stabilizing neighborhoods, a key component of this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress:

1. Indicator 16.1.1: Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population.
   • Explanation: The article explicitly mentions the sharp rise in “homicides” as a key problem. A reduction in this number would be a direct measure of success for the proposed strategies.
2. Rates of Violent Crime (Implied):
   • Explanation: The article refers to a rise in “violent crime” and “carjackings” and notes that “national trends have begun to ease.” This implies that tracking the overall rates of various violent crimes is a key metric for assessing the effectiveness of crime reduction policies. This aligns with the intent of indicators under Target 16.1.
3. Recidivism Rates (Implied):
   • Explanation: The text discusses the failure of policies that lead to “cycles of conviction and reoffending” and promotes strategies that “reduce repeat offenses.” A decrease in recidivism rates would be a clear indicator of progress towards a more effective justice system, as envisioned in Target 16.3.
4. Measures of Urban Blight (Implied):
   • Explanation: The article cites “blight reduction” as a successful strategy. Progress could be measured by tracking indicators such as the number of abandoned buildings, vacant lots, or the general upkeep of public spaces in targeted areas, which relates to the goals of Target 11.7.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: alec.org