Waller directed this report and a second report on best practices to highlight successful ways to reduce crime for Canada, USA, UK and other European countries. Analyses of many successful projects showed the positive return on investment – a dollar for prevention avoiding $7 or more in reaction. It identified the rigorous process (so often overlooked by researchers) to get these crime prevention programs put into practice where they would be successful and underlined what was needed from governments to sustain action. These publications provided a basis for the UN Habitat program on Safer Cities and the ECOSOC guidelines on crime prevention.
