Abstract

Crime prevention in the Federal Republic of Germany has developed very positively over the past three decades. On the one hand, information is provided on central national structures, organisations and prevention programmes. On the other hand, the focal points of the German Congress of Crime Prevention as well as the Lower Saxony Crime Prevention Council are presented.

The German Congress on Crime Prevention – GCOCP is on the one hand the 1995 founded and meanwhile world’s largest annual conference on the topic of crime prevention and related prevention areas. On the other hand the GCOCP forms with its Institute for Applied Prevention Research (DPTI) and other key activities a platform for information, knowledge transfer and an interdisciplinary dialogue between prevention practice, prevention research and prevention policies.

Since 2007 the German Congress on Crime Prevention (GCOCP) is hosting the Annual International Forum (AIF) to address the international (non-German speaking) audience. The aim of the AIF is to add a international perspective to the German Congress and to give the opportunity to share experiences in crime prevention on an international level. While the world is growing closer research as well as experience should be disseminated within a broad professional framework.

Erich Marks is an educationalist and works in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Justice as director of the Council for Crime Prevention. He has worked for many years, especially in the field of prevention at national and international level. Erich Marks is among others managing director of the German Congress on Crime Prevention (GCOCP), Vice President of the European Forum for Urban Security (EFUS) and chairman of the foundation Pro Child.