ICMA’s Municipal Partnerships for Violence Prevention in Central America (AMUPREV) program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), implements violence prevention strategies and programs through city-to-city exchanges that incorporate training and technical assistance for local governments, community groups, and police officers. AMUPREV has partnered cities in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama with American jurisdictions, allowing city officials to share successful crime prevention strategies with their peers.

On Wednesday, June 19, Mark Lopes, the USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean spoke before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs about USAID’s funded crime prevention programs in the region. He recognized Arlington, Texas; Santa Ana, California; and Pinellas County, Florida, for their efforts assisting Latin American city officials. AMUPREV has facilitated successful partnerships among these American jurisdictions and Panama City, Panama; Nahuizalco and Sonsonate, El Salvador and Santa Catarina Pinula, Mixco, and Palencia, Guatemala; and Colon and San Miguelito, Panama, respectively. To access a full recount of his congressional testimony, click here. 

Earlier this year, Santa Ana, California, hosted a group of Guatemalan officials. The study tour included visits to the police department and local youth centers, and presentations about effective crime prevention strategies.  Read more about the exchange visit on our website.

In addition to facilitating city-to-city partnerships, some of the highlights of the AMUPREV program include:

• Publishing a municipal-based Violence Prevention Toolkit, which presents steps for creating, implementing, and regulating activities of municipal violence prevention committees;
• Creating a website and Facebook page (both in Spanish), which share best practices among a network of more than 1,700 stakeholders in Central and South America; and
• Exhibiting and presenting at national and regional conferences focused on public safety and security.

To learn more about ICMA International, visit the website and the International Development topic in the Knowledge Network, or contact international@icma.org.