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The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has been awarded almost half of the R10 million that the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST) made available for a special crime prevention fund. This fund was established to enable science and technology to make a meaningful contribution to crime prevention in South African communities. The HSRC, which has been conducting research on crime and crime-related topics for more than 20 years, has been allocated an amount of R4 263 400 for the implementation of its proposed crime information and community empowerment programme. The HSRC submitted its research proposals for the fund as part of a consortium consisting of the Foundation for Research Development (FRD), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC). The four science councils decided on a consortium approach that would broaden the science and technology base in support of the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) and provide an opportunity for the science and technology community to tackle the challenges in a united and integrated manner. Dr Willem Schurink, the HSRC’s Programme Manager: Crime Prevention, said the HSRC’s programme would contribute towards the practical implementation of the NCPS on a national, provincial and local level. The programme consists of five research projects focusing on the development of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) crime data base, a community-based crime prevention model, victimisation surveys, a gender sensitive crime prevention strategy and a study aimed at creating safer cities. He added that the special fund had now for the first time provided the opportunity for comprehensive research involving a multidisciplinary team of social and natural scientists, professional helpers, law enforcement agencies, national, provincial and local government departments and community leaders.
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