ASEZ students from Syracuse University hosted a crime prevention forum to promote safer communities through education, collaboration, and practical solutions. The event featured three speakers: Mayor Ben Walsh, Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile, and Dr. Stefanie Pilkay, Assistant Professor at the School of Social Work. They discussed the root causes of crime and the key role university students can play in preventing it. The forum aimed to inspire the community to work together and take action toward reducing crime and creating a safer society.
Factors That Contribute to Crime Prevention
The forum highlighted the importance of understanding the factors that contribute to crime. Attendees gained valuable insight into the social, economic, and environmental issues that can lead to crime. The speakers stressed that awareness is the first step in preventing crime and that education is essential in addressing the root causes. Police Chief Joseph Cecile gave examples of how ASEZ volunteers put this into practice.
“Something as simple as making a one-way road, two ways so there is more traffic going back and forth. That way, suspects don’t feel like they’re hidden from the police or the neighbors,” he said. Or even what you folks did with the graffiti removal downtown is a perfect example. It’s been proven time and time again that if you leave graffiti alone and let it continue to grow, it attracts crime. Because then people believe that this is a neighborhood that no one cares about. And that is why the work you are doing is so important.”
The Connection Between Crime Prevention and the Environment
Dr. Pilkay spoke about the connection between environmental safety and crime prevention. She explained how the lack of environmental complexity can have negative impacts on neurodevelopment. Our brains need exposure to different stimuli. This allows us to build billions of neuronal connections and foster healthy communication within the brain.
Dr. Pilkay also mentioned, “Environments with higher levels of toxicants in the soil and in the water, as well as fewer trees and fewer green spaces also negatively affect neurodevelopment. When we are thinking about crime, we absolutely have to be mindful of how the brain is developing because we need our brains to be optimal functioning to maintain empathy, remorse, morality, and to control normal responsive impulsive behaviors.”
ASEZ Fostering Collaboration and Partnership
ASEZ students, local government leaders, law enforcement, and community organizations were all encouraged to work together to implement effective crime prevention strategies. Mayor Ben Walsh commented on the work of ASEZ students and how important it is to work together. “We have to do all of this together. The challenges that we are dealing with, whether it be violent crime, property crime, issues around mental health, or addiction, these are not just City of Syracuse problems, or suburban problems, these are society problems. They affect all of us and so we can’t expect anyone of us to solve them ourselves. We have to solve them together.”
ASEZ students around the world will continue to reinforce the idea that through education, engagement and partnerships, we can build safer, stronger communities. To see more activities from ASEZ students, visit our Activities page!
