For several years now, ICMA’s Municipal Partnerships for Violence Prevention in Central America (AMUPREV) program has provided assistance to Panamanian and El Salvadorian municipalities by sharing crime and violence prevention best practices. The program has been extended until the end of September 2013 and has expanded to include two municipalities in Guatemala: Santa Catarina Pinula and Palencia. City officials from both communities recently embarked on a study tour to Santa Ana, California, to learn about community policing strategies, as well as youth and community programs, in hopes of improving their respective crime prevention efforts in Guatemala.

Upon their arrival, Santa Ana City Manager Kevin O’Rourke and Police Chief Carlos Rojas greeted the group at the city’s police department and gave an overview of the challenges and progress that Santa Ana has made relating to crime and violence. The participants then visited the city’s KidWorks Center, a program designed to transform challenged neighborhoods in central Santa Ana by building on the strengths of the community through education, character formation, and personal development. The Center provides training for parents and educational opportunities for youth after school. One point that resonated with the study tour group was that the Center maximizes its limited resources by using readily available social services and tutors to teach lessons. Santa Catarina Pinula and Palencia also lack sufficient funds for crime prevention, so the Guatemalan delegates took note of how Santa Ana overcame this challenge.

Next, the group attended presentations at the police department, where officers described regulations that have helped prevent the deterioration of neighborhoods, such as laws relating to traffic, littering, and loitering. They emphasized the collaborative effort between city agencies and the police department that is needed to ensure successful code enforcement. This presentation exemplified the types of regulations and programs that interact with each other to form a cohesive solution to crime prevention. Actively engaged in each discussion, the Guatemalan officials began to brainstorm ways of incorporating some of Santa Ana’s strategies into their own approaches.

Concluding the trip, the participants received certificates at the Santa Ana Police Department and shared their reflections from the week. Overall, the group expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn about proven successful programs. They were excited to leave with new crime prevention strategies suitable for Guatemala. 

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