SOCIAL CRIME PREVENTION IN URBAN MUNICIPALITIES IN SLOVENIA

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine the degree of risk of poverty and social exclusion, its impact on crime, and the implementation of measures of social crime prevention (SCP) in urban municipalities in Slovenia. Methods: For this purpose, we conducted two interrelated studies: in the first one, we examined the relation between social exclusion, risk of poverty, and some other socio-economic factors and crime in local communities by analysing relevant official statistical data. In the second study, we explored the degree of implementation of SCP programs in several urban municipalities by analysing relevant documents and practices and by way of conducting interviews with the officials in-charge in municipalities. Findings: In general, in Slovenia statistical regions with high levels of poverty and social exclusion are characterized by a high degree of detected crime and convicted persons. There are regions, however, with considerable negative socioeconomic indicators and a fairly low levels of crimes on the one side, and wealthy regions with high levels of crimes on the other. This led us to the assumption that, in Slovenia, the perpetrators from poor regions commit their crimes in the wealthier ones. Also, we assumed that the obvious correlation between social exclusion and the degree of crime corresponds with the degree of implementation of SCP measures and programs in urban municipalities. Our analyses showed, however, that some urban municipalities are more prone to the measures of SCP than others, that different urban municipalities apply different strategies of preventing crime and insecurity, and that there exist significant differences between urban and rural environments. Research limitations: Our study may be limited since two urban municipalities failed to respond in the time specified. The research may also be limited because some urban municipalities (e.g., their representatives) may have given subjective or false descriptions of the situation in their community. Originality: Our study offers a comprehensive yet predominantly empirical analysis of SCP in Slovenia, focusing on the "state of the art" in urban local communities. So far, the research on SCP in Slovenia has been theoretical in its nature.