KEMEA takes IcARUS to Vilnius and Lyon!

Last June, KE.ME.A. took part in the celebrations for the 15th anniversary of the public order division of the city of Vilnius, where the KEMEA representative showcased the IcARUS project and engaged in discussions on how the project will advance the capacity of the cities not only to respond but also to prevent crime.

The main points that were raised pertained on the one hand to the project ambitions and outputs, namely the fact that IcARUS aims to develop a toolkit for urban security governance regarding Juvenile Delinquency, Organised Crime, Radicalisation, & Safe Public Spaces while taking into account the diversity of stakeholders, Cyber/Technology intricacies; Gender Issues; Transnational themes. It is a 4 year project coordinated by Efus, with a consortium of seventeen (17) European partners, including universities, research institutions, local authorities, civil society and private sector organisations.

It was mentioned that the IcARUS toolkit is not yet publicly available, as the project is still ongoing and the solutions are being developed and tested (dashboard, platform, app, etc) but more information is available on all our social media platforms, but it will consist of 6 different tools, each one being the product of the corresponding City Police.

Then, the discussion focused on how Municipal Police departments both contribute to and benefit from the IcARUS project. First, they contribute by providing data, expertise and feedback on current urban security issues and challenges, and they participate in co-designing and testing innovative solutions for urban security governance that are tailored to their local contexts and needs.

In turn, local police departments will benefit from IcARUS by accessing the toolkit and learning from best practices and experiences of other partners and stakeholders, while also being able to improve their capacity and skills for urban security governance, and enhance their cooperation and coordination with other actors at the local, national, and European levels The Vilnius Public Order Division, as Vilnius is already a member of EFUS and participated in the International Dissemination Conference of IcARUS held in Riga, Latvia in June 2022, expressed their interest in collaborating more closely with the project, by being included in all upcoming events too, and in creating further synergies with the six Municipal Police Departments that are members of IcARUS. In addition, KEMEA will take part in the Council for European studies Conference in Lyon, France next July where we will present a paper on ‘The contribution of the IcARUS project in re-thinking Urban Security in Europe’!

The paper will focus on the added value of incorporating the new knowledge that the IcARUS project generates and the ways that it may contribute to urban security challenges by offering evidence and lessons learned from the validation of the toolkit in the pertinent urban settings.

Thus, it will communicate how IcARUS enhances urban security and social cohesion in Europe by promoting a comprehensive and holistic approach to combatting radicalisation and other security struggles.

Newsletter 8- Urban Security News

Check the 8th Newsletter to stay up to date with the IcaRUS project progress:

• Workshop with IcARUS Expert Advisory Board and Consultative Committee of Cities
• City of Rotterdam Interview

And the outcomes of IcaRUS sessions 3 and 4 in its series of web conferences:

• How can citizens be mobilised to contribute to safe public spaces?
• To what extent is restorative justice effective in juvenile deliquency cases?

And more!

Enjoy!

How urban crowdsourcing platforms draw a world map of citizen contributions

Cities are at the forefront of numerous challenges, ranging from the mitigation of the effects of climate change to mobility and security issues.

Well-informed policies are crucial to respond to these challenges. For these purposes, cities are increasingly gathering data thanks to volunteers through crowdsourcing platforms. People use the sensors embedded in mobile phones – GPS, cameras, microphones – to contribute to observations taken on the ground.

As this type of urban tool is increasingly discussed in academic literature, researchers from the Social Computing group at Idiap conducted a systematic review of these studies worldwide. Their work examined and catalogued the platforms, focusing on their geographic location, specific purposes, and public data availability. The research provides a more comprehensive picture of these tools across the world. The work by Alessandro Fornaroli (a former master’s student at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne) and currently a Research Intern on the IcARUS project) and Prof. Daniel Gatica-Perez was conducted in the context of the IcARUS project.

From citizen science to urbanism

Thanks to a rigorous selection and classification, researchers were able to analyse 30 studies covering 32 crowdsourcing platforms for urban data gathering that were launched and maintained by local authorities. The geographic distribution of these platforms is wide. The reviewed studies covered cities from four continents: Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

The systematic review found that urban reporting, which allows people to report issues to city administrations or local authorities, such as potholes, litter, or broken public objects, is indeed a popular practice.

Future endeavours

“Even if our work provides valuable insights about the state of urban platforms for citizen-contributed data gathering, there are several open questions. For example, we observed that about 70% of platforms are based in the US and Europe. As we only analysed academic literature written in English, we cannot say whether the imbalance is a result of this methodological choice, or a real discrepancy in the existence of such platforms across different world regions,” Gatica-Perez, head of the Social Computing group at Idiap, explains.

The review also highlighted disparities in terms of the data that platforms make available to the public. “Understanding why local decisions are made with respect to public availability of data is another open question. This could be the result of different legal and cultural perspectives on data, and underlines the value of human-centred research in this domain,” Gatica-Perez concludes.

IcARUS partner KEMEA meets with the municipal police of Vilnius (Lithuania)

Vilnius, Lithuania, June 2023 – Representing the Center for Security Studies (KEMEA), Genny Dimitrakopoulou met with officials of the Public Order department of the city of Vilnius (Lithuania) on the occasion of the 15^th anniversary of the municipal Public Order department, on 1-3 June, 2023.  

Genny Dimitrakopoulou is a Research Associate and Project Manager at KEMEA, a partner of the IcARUS consortium.

The objective of this visit was to discuss how the IcARUS project will advance the capacity of local and regional authorities not only to respond to, but also to prevent crime. 

A toolkit for urban security governance

The KEMEA and Vilnius representatives discussed the project’s ambitions and outputs, and in particular the development of  a toolkit for urban security governance in the project’s four focus areas – juvenile delinquency; radicalisation leading to violent extremism; reducing trafficking and organised crime, and designing and managing safe public spaces – while taking into account the diversity of stakeholders, the evolution of technology and the digital space, gender issues, and transnational themes. 

The toolkit, which will comprise six tools designed by each of the project’s six partner cities (Stuttgart (DE), Riga (LV), Rotterdam (NL), Nice (FR), Lisbon (PT), and Turin (IT)), is currently  being developed and tested (dashboard, platform, app, etc.). (More information is available on our social media platforms). 

IcARUS and local police forces

The KEMEA and Vilnius representatives also discussed how Municipal Police Forces both contribute to and benefit from the IcARUS project.

They contribute by providing data, expertise and feedback on urban security issues and challenges, and they participate in co-designing and testing innovative solutions for urban security governance that are tailored to their local contexts and needs.

They will also benefit from IcARUS by accessing the toolkit and learning from the best practices and experiences of other partners and stakeholders. Furthermore, the project gives them the opportunity to improve their capacity and skills for urban security governance, and to enhance cooperation and coordination with other actors at the local, national and European levels.

Increased collaboration

The representatives of Vilnius’ municipal department of Public Order  expressed their interest in collaborating more closely with the project, notably by participating in all the upcoming events, and in creating synergies with the Municipal Police departments of IcARUS’ six member cities (Stuttgart (DE), Riga (LV), Rotterdam (NL), Nice (FR), Lisbon (PT), and Turin (IT)).

Already, the City of Vilnius, which is an Efus member, participated in the IcARUS dissemination conference in Riga, Latvia, in June 2022. 

Empowering Citizens Through Collaborative Engagement

• What tools can facilitate citizen participation in the security and liveability of public spaces?
• What are examples of successful citizen engagement in maintaining public spaces safe and inclusive?
• How can local authorities promote and empower citizen initiatives without jeopardising the role of law enforcement or other security actors?
• What criteria are needed to sustain citizen engagement over time (political, economic, communications…)?

These were some of the questions discussed during the third session of the series of IcARUS with experts Thierry Charlois and Laeititia Wolff. 

The representatives of the IcARUS partner cities (Lisbon, Nice, Riga, Rotterdam, Stuttgart, and Torino) presented the security challenges on which they are focusing through the project: 

• Finding a balance between the requirements of different groups of people in a city (e.g. elderly people and students)
• Mobilising citizens (with a focus on young people)
• Guaranteeing the fair representation of all

From curating common goals to creating spaces for exchange, the speakers concluded that citizen engagement can be enhanced through design thinking which promotes the hands-on involvement of citizens in the implementation of practical measures to improve the security of their cities. 

Such measures include focusing on: 

•  Student populations
•  Working with citizens rather than for them
•  creating spaces of understanding and exchange.

A running theme across the experts’ interventions was the importance of promoting citizen engagement that goes both ways, that is to say, an invested interest, on the part of authorities, in the needs and desires of citizens. They also emphasised the importance of creating spaces where citizens can express themselves and feel seen and heard. 

Restorative Justice in juvenile delinquency cases

During this session, representatives of the partner cities of the project (Lisbon,

Nice, Riga, Rotterdam, Stuttgart, and Torino) met with Tim Chapman, chairman of the board of the European Forum for Restorative Justice.

City of Lisbon and City of Turin case-studies: Preventing juvenile delinquency and reoffending

Building upon Turin’s and Lisbon’s case-studies, Chapman discussed the case of young offenders who have served time and been released. He points out that detention can often exacerbate the offenders’ problems, especially if they already had strained relationships with school, parents and the community. 

He suggested that, from a restorative perspective, planning for their release should begin as early as possible. It is essential to hold meetings with these individuals before their release to assess the resources and relationships they require for a successful reintegration into the community. Waiting until they are released is not advisable, as they may revert to their previous habits, old friendships, or substance abuse. The reintegration strategy should encompass: 

•  rejoining school
•  establishing guidelines for their return home
•  facilitating employment or training opportunities
•  connecting them with community members.

Chapman underscored the importance of 1) building relationships in the context of the rehabilitation and reintegration of young individuals 2)  the importance of mentors within the community 3) proactive involvement in community activities such as assisting the elderly and 4) rehabilitation programmes that provide young people with opportunities to demonstrate to their families, community and society that they possess underlying goodness despite their delinquent behaviour. 

Drawing from his experience in Northern Ireland, Chapman likened the process to managing a football team: “You can be the best at football, but you need a team, who will you have in your team? Have a team of concerned adults.”

City of Stuttgart: Preventing radicalisation leading to violent extremism 

Chapman provided insights from his experience in Northern Ireland, although the term ‘radicalisation’ has never been used in this context. In Northern Ireland, restorative justice processes focused on the polarised views of offenders involved in political violence. One of the main aspects of the restorative approach to prevent young people from being radicalised was to involve them in non violent community activities.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, the restorative approach’s objective was to limit as much as possible the number of individuals being radicalised. Tim Chapman shared his experience of working with people who had been active in terrorist organisations, focusing on helping them to disengage. 

This process involves asking ‘restorative’ questions about the impact of their behaviour on victims, families, and communities. These include: do you think of the victims? Do you see how your behaviour affects your family/community? 

Chapman noted that in European countries, there is a strong tradition of mediation, which has proven effective in various contexts. However, he pointed out that mediation may not always be as effective with young people, as it often revolves around resolving issues related to compensation and payments, which may not be applicable when young individuals lack access to funds.

The ‘young conference’ model

Northern Ireland has introduced the ‘young conference’ model, involving both the young offender and the victim. This approach extends to criminal offences associated with radicalisation, where community members, including elders, contribute by discouraging involvement in violence. Chapman also discussed the use of ‘restorative circles’ in schools, particularly for troubled young individuals who may be experiencing bullying or discrimination, highlighting their usefulness in addressing early signs of radicalisation.

City of Riga: Designing and managing safe public spaces

Regarding the application of restorative approaches to public space safety and public order, Tim Chapman emphasised that anti-social behaviours such as smoking and drinking in public spaces are not criminal issues but rather public health concerns. In these cases, the harm is primarily done by individuals to themselves. 

He suggested that the initial step should involve understanding why many young people engage in smoking and drinking in public areas. Drawing from his personal experience, he mentioned that young individuals often adopt these habits to appear ‘cool’ to their peers, which eventually becomes a habit.

Chapman pointed out that many young people in European societies are growing up experiencing stress and anxiety, leading them to use smoking and drinking as coping mechanisms. 

The Youth in Iceland Strategy

Iceland developed a strategy called Youth in Iceland to address a similar issue of young people engaging in public smoking and drinking, which was more of a nuisance than a criminal activity. Through research, Iceland developed an effective strategy that resulted in a significant reduction of such behaviours.

In the late 1980s, 42% of young people in Iceland were engaging in public smoking and drinking, but by 2016, this number had dropped to just 5%. 

The strategy included changes to laws that banned the purchase by young people under a certain age of cigarettes and alcohol, as well as educational efforts targeting parents through schools and encouraging them to spend quality time with their children. 

Additionally, curfews were implemented, with stricter times for teenagers during the winter months (in the winter, after 10pm for under-16, and after midnight for older ones), and increased recreational opportunities were provided, including vouchers for families to engage in activities together, such as going to the swimming pool.

Youth in Europe supports cities in introducing similar strategies. 

City of Rotterdam: Preventing and reducing trafficking and organised crime

Tim Chapman delved into the challenging issue of working with young people who feel hopeless and indifferent, having nothing to lose. As a former probation officer, he acknowledged the difficulties in dealing with such attitudes and emphasised the need for patience and the establishment of strong relationships.

Chapman theorised that young people who feel that way were not always like that but have become despaired usually because of difficult family circumstances. In his practice, he’s seen how they often grow up feeling ashamed of their family’s involvement in criminal activities, drugs, and addiction. These young individuals may have experienced exclusion from social events, leading them to feel like there is something inherently wrong with them. As a result, they may adopt a defence mechanism of shamelessness to shield themselves from further emotional pain and rejection.

He underscored that the most effective approach in such cases is to have responsible, resilient, and compassionate adults who invest time in understanding these youths and their underlying issues. He emphasised the importance of uncovering what truly matters to these young individuals, which may involve identifying their dreams and interests hidden beneath their tough demeanour.

Gender approach to restorative justice

Regarding the application of a gender perspective in restorative justice, Tim Chapman acknowledged that this is a field that has been little explored so far: “It is an area where we could do a lot better, in terms of how to work with girls differently than with boys,” he said, noting that there are increasing numbers of female offenders. 

He noted that restorative justice has up to now been almost exclusively focused on stopping public crime, but has been “blind” to domestic crime and gender-based violence. However, in this type of violence, women’s organisations do not recommend using restorative justice processes, because they risk empowering the men, rather than the women. He recognised that it is an important area on which restorative justice should focus, i.e., “misogyny, the rape culture, trauma, the inbalance of power, coercive control”. A lot of women could benefit from it, concluded Chapman. 

IcARUS Workshop Testimonial

Following studies in design innovation at Besign, The Sustainable Design School in Nice, Theo Lefevre is currently pursuing his Master’s in Interior Architecture while undertaking an apprenticeship at Dior Perfume headquarters. Holly Bartley is set to complete her Master’s 2 in Research Design this coming year at École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, in collaboration with ENSCI-Les Ateliers, focused on care design. 

They share a deep passion for social innovation, advocate for design as a holistic problem-solving approach and actively participate in discussions and projects aimed at addressing critical societal challenges.

Recently, invited by Efus design expert and member of the IcARUS EAB, Laetitia Wolff, Theo and Holly participated in IcARUS workshops held in Nice and Paris. Today they share their insights gained from these discussions to offer creative input and visual inspiration for the six cities presently involved in developing innovative urban security initiatives. 

Have a look at it HERE.

How can we keep IcARUS momentum going?

As the IcARUS partner cities begin to test their solutions in their local environment, we are already asking ourselves, how the IcARUS methodology can be implemented further in other urban contexts? So that the work carried out over several years can benefit as many cities as possible.

As we know, the end of the IcARUS project will only be the beginning of the deployment of the methodology. We sincerely hope (and work for!) that what we have learned and the tools we have developed will be useful to many other towns and cities as they develop their public policies on urban safety.

So how can we support the transmission of the methodology over time? How can we ensure that other cities can benefit from what we have learned?

That’s the question on our minds at the moment! That’s why, in parallel with the evaluation of the IcARUS methodology, we are working on a training programme for those involved in supporting local authorities, to give them all the elements of the method and a support structure on how to effectively adopt it in public policy.

Our aim is to build a programme that will enable us to train IcARUS ambassadors, experts capable of helping cities to adapt and implement the methodology throughout Europe!