Violence prevention through multi-sectoral partnerships : the cases of Cali and Bogota, Columbia

From 1983 to 1994 the city of Cali, in Colombia, experienced an increase in homicide rates per year from 23 to 126 per hundred thousand inhabitants. Violence became the most important cause of death in the general population. In 1992 the mayor of Cali initiated a comprehensive programme aimed at reducing crime by controlling risk factors in the city. The programme followed a public health approach and assumed a multi-factoral causal mechanism, requiring interventions in the police, legal, educational and cultural systems, as well as robust multi-sectoral partnerships. Bogota adopted a similar programme in 1995. During the period 1994-2004, homicide rates declined in Bogota, from 82 to 28 while those of Cali declined from 126 to 100. Both cities followed a similar public health approach to violence prevention, but only Bogota was able to maintain the policies for a period of ten years. Both cities developed effective coalitions within governmental agencies, with the private sector, and the community around the theme of violence prevention. This paper describes the most significant interventions and partnerships implemented in Cali and Bogota, and postulates that reliable information is key to obtaining sustainable policies. The paper also suggests that the Colombian experience may be applicable to other similar contexts.