October is Crime Prevention Month and Roy L. Williams, Chief Scout Executive, challenges the more than 4.4 million youth and adult members of the Boy Scouts of America to make crime prevention a priority, especially youth crime prevention. He also pays tribute to the many individuals who have taken personal responsibility for their neighborhoods and have conducted service projects for the common good.

Crime Prevention Month 2004 reflects the fact that time, money, and other resources spent on prevention yield tremendous benefits in reducing crime and making communities stronger, safer, and better places to live, work, and play. Crime remains at historic lows in the United States and, although this is something to celebrate, we must not stop working to continue reducing crime in our country. Experience has proven that grassroots, collaborative action works to keep crime down.

During Crime Prevention Month, government agencies, civic groups, schools, businesses, and youth organizations across the country will showcase their accomplishments, reach out to empower the public through educational campaigns, and explore new partnerships that build stronger communities where crime cannot survive.

Since its introduction in 1996, the Crime Prevention merit badge has been earned by 57,282 Boy Scouts. As a part of earning this merit badge, a boy tracks media coverage of crime and crime prevention in his community; talks to various individuals about the impact of crime in the community; discusses the role of police departments and citizens in crime prevention; learns how to report a crime; conducts a security survey of his home; and teaches his family how to protect themselves from crime.

In 1984, the National Crime Prevention Council, the nation's focal point for preventing crime, designated October as Crime Prevention Month. The month-long celebration recognizes successful crime prevention efforts on the local, state, and national levels to generate interest and enthusiasm for prevention efforts to continue to grow even stronger and become more widespread.

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