Harnessing Community Power: Rafaela’s Innovative Approach to Urban Crime Prevention

Mina Vitaloni is a recent student worker at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University, who shared her perspectives on an ongoing violence reduction initiative in her hometown of Rafaela, Argentina.

In the quest to combat urban violence, innovative solutions often emerge from unexpected places. One such example is my hometown of Rafaela, Argentina, where community-driven strategies are reshaping how our city addressed crime. By leveraging local resources, using commonly used technology, and fostering strong connections between residents and security forces, cities like Rafaela are taking the lead in finding solutions to address interpersonal violence in their communities.

On July 1, NYU’s Center on International Cooperation unveiled its Halving Global Violence Flagship Report in Geneva, Switzerland—marking the culmination of a three-year collaboration among international policymakers, researchers, field experts, and activists. The report, titled “Beyond the Battlefields: Practical Strategies to Halving Global Violence in Our Homes, Streets, and Communities,” offers actionable strategies aimed at cutting global violence in half. Rather than focusing solely on armed conflicts, the report zeroes in on a form of violence that profoundly affects everyday life: interpersonal violence in urban settings.

Interpersonal violence—violence that occurs between individuals, often in domestic or community contexts—has a far-reaching impact on urban communities. It’s a hidden crisis that affects millions, yet it rarely garners the attention that larger-scale conflicts do. The report underscores the urgency of addressing this issue, especially in cities where interpersonal violence can escalate quickly, overwhelming local authorities and straining resources.

A relevant issue that emerged from the findings of the report is how to support the involvement of urban actors beyond just municipal governments in efforts to reduce violence. Cities aren’t waiting for outside help—they’re already taking action to tackle street crime and interpersonal violence. These solutions—often born out of necessity, as violence spreads faster than bureaucratic processes and budget approvals can keep up—have produced impressive results, and should be seen as examples of the pivotal role that local leaders and actors can have in combating violence in their communities. 

Cities Taking Action: The Case of Rafaela

My own hometown of Rafaela, a city in central Argentina with a population of around 150,000 is an example of a city that is finding innovative solutions to respond to these challenges. As it absorbs the spillover from larger neighboring cities like Rosario and Santa Fe, Rafaela faces a growing wave of organized crime tied to drug trafficking. 

The war on drugs that has taken over the streets of Rosario and Santa Fe is spreading to Rafaela and other smaller cities, as criminal activity moves to new areas. These trends have steadily exacerbated since the early 2000s, placing the city increasingly at risk. Drug trafficking groups have made pacts with corrupt police agents, deepening distrust in those who are meant to serve and protect, and eroding confidence in their ability to actually fight crime. 

As cities like Rafaela try to find appropriate solutions, there is another condiment to this recipe that complicates the issue: in many Latin American countries, cities don’t have direct control over their police forces, which are managed by state (provincial) or national governments. Officers frequently rotate between different areas, which means they often lack the deep local knowledge needed to address specific community issues effectively. By the time officers familiarize themselves with the area, it’s usually time for them to move on, leading to a lack of continuity in crime prevention efforts.

In Rafaela, this approach has led to a sense of not being truly safe.^[1] The constant turnover of police personnel results in a lack of connection and commitment to long-term, locally tailored solutions for urban crime. In response, cities like Rafaela have developed innovative solutions. One such initiative is the creation of Urban Guards. Rafaela’s Urban Guard, known as GUR (an acronym for Guardia Urbana Rafaela), was established in 2006. 

The GUR is an unarmed civilian force designed to enhance community safety and well-being, operating within the public prevention policies set by the city, with support from the government of the province of Santa Fe where Rafaela is located. Unlike rotating police officers, the GUR is a permanent presence in the community. It operates under the Secretariat of Security Prevention and works closely with residents across all neighborhoods, performing preventive tasks in response to observed or reported issues. This localized approach allows the GUR to develop a deep understanding of the community’s unique needs, fostering a sense of trust and collaboration that is often lacking in traditional police forces. 

One of the most innovative aspects of the GUR’s work is their “Eyes on Alert” program, implemented in 2021 and uses WhatsApp as a tool for real-time crime and emergency reporting. Originally implemented in San Miguel, Argentina in 2016, this program has been adopted by 54 other cities, including Rafaela. The city has been able to utilize it and successfully weave it into the general security strategy. Residents—including merchants, cab drivers, and neighbors—can report suspicious activities or emergencies using audio, video, text, photos, and location data. The success of this program^[2] lies in its grassroots nature; it empowers the community to take an active role in their own safety, ensuring that information is communicated efficiently to municipal forces for a swift response. 

An evaluation of the project’s first year^[3] shows that 92.5 percent of surveyed residents believe that response from authorities was “immediate” after using the tool, and 81.3 percent expressed a “high” level of satisfaction with said response. By 2023, 20.000 people had joined the program, and the number keeps growing as citizens see that the program works. 

This high degree of trust in the GUR has deepened the community’s commitment to keeping the city safe. While this commitment is sincere and dependable, several safeguards are in place to prevent it from becoming a platform for impulsive individuals that could veer in vigilantism. These include clear guidelines and training, with participants receiving instruction on recognizing suspicious behavior, reporting it properly to official authorities, and restrictions on any use of force the GUR can employ. The program also operates in close coordination with law enforcement, ensuring that community members support official efforts rather than acting independently. The focus is on reporting rather than taking action, with participants encouraged to notify authorities instead of intervening themselves, further minimizing the risk of vigilantism. Accountability and oversight by local authorities play a crucial role, involving regular reviews, feedback mechanisms, and monitoring of the program’s activities. Additionally, the reporting channel, a WhatsApp number managed by professionals, is designed to filter and handle information effectively, ensuring that it is processed appropriately. 

The bond between locals and those who protect them in the GUR is something the Police Force has struggled to achieve, leaving many with lingering doubts about trusting “outside” security forces. GUR is often called first by the neighbors, even before the police during emergencies; people say they feel “accompanied” by the local task force, they trust their work and their swift action and most of all, they feel at ease knowing that GUR agents are patrolling the streets. Since the GUR can act as a source of accountability to the police and spur positive law enforcement behavior, they hope that over the long-term this will enhance community-police trust. 

This kind of community-driven approach is highlighted in the Halving Global Violence Flagship Report as a key strategy for breaking cycles of violence. By combining law enforcement with community outreach, Rafaela is improving public safety and addressing interpersonal violence more effectively. Initiatives like the GUR with direct involvement with the community allow for a better understanding of its dynamics. Having earned the trust of the population, this type of locally-based task force can help generate the sense of security that all people seek, within and outside their homes.

As we continue to explore strategies for reducing violence worldwide, Rafaela’s experience offers valuable insights into how cities can take proactive, community-based approaches to address the unique challenges they face. The lessons learned here could serve as a model for other urban areas grappling with similar issues, demonstrating how community engagement and building a trusting relationship between law enforcement and citizens can be a powerful tool in tackling interpersonal violence in urban settings.

[1] For more information on Argentine statistics about safety and crime, you can access the International Statistics on crime and justice by the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations. This article [Spanish] can also be helpful to understand the general feeling in Argentina about insecurity, during the period of the creation of GUR.

[2] Evaluation of the 1st year of implementation [Spanish]. 2024, training for the use of this tool is ongoing and institutions can ask for specific training sessions for their staff.

[3] 2021-2022, Ibid.