National Governments have taken some initial steps to support safer cities. They have passed legislation, created prevention councils, encouraged research, evaluation and training, and provided some initial financing. No Governments have implemented all these necessary steps. Much remains to be done for these logical approaches to reach their potential, in order to reduce crime in a sustainable way.

In 1974, Sweden created the first national crime prevention council, which is a government agency of 30 persons reporting to the Ministry of Justice. This Council has a long-term mandate to reduce criminal activity. Other Scandinavian countries have established national crime prevention councils, but they are often limited to citizen mobilization, particularly to support the police.

France has been one of the leaders in the effort to create safer cities. In 1983, it implemented the recommendations of the Bonnemaison Commission, through the creation of a national crime prevention council. Today, France has an interministerial secretariat representing each city at the national level on the issue of urban security.

Influenced in part by France, New Zealand has set up a safer community and crime prevention unit in its Prime Minister's office to promote development, research and evaluation of interdepartmental coordination. In addition, it has developed partnerships with local communities. Similarly, in 1988, the State of South Australia created the post of a minister responsible for crime prevention, which has resulted in many prevention programmes across the State.

The Netherlands and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have long histories of pursuing innovative crime prevention strategies. The Netherlands has grouped crime prevention with its victim assistance activities and is spending 10 per cent of its funds on evaluation. The crime prevention unit within the Ministry of justice in the Netherlands is supported financially and politically by the Government. It promotes a multitude of situational prevention and social development projects, which have had an influence on both urban and national policies. The United Kingdom has had a crime prevention unit for more than 10 years, which has progressively built on earlier substantial research. In 1988, it established its safer cities programme and launched a private agency, Crime Concern, to act as a catalyst for effective action. It publishes a regular series on promising practices.

Belgium has established a crime prevention unit that combines the efforts of the police and various city and local community action groups. Similarly, in 1994, the United States of America created a President's Crime Prevention Council involving all the main justice and human resource departments.