In The Netherlands and the rest of Western Europe, rates of both reported crimes and victimizations have increased sharply starting in 1955. To promote prevention programs, the national government funds local projects and publishes a quarterly magazine on crime prevention initiatives. More than 200 projects have received support. Eighty projects involve preventing vandalism; others focus on bicycle theft, shoplifting, urban renewal, school truancy, and dropping out of school. Successful projects have focused on public transportation, schools, diversion, public housing, and retail crime. The Dutch government also tries to pursue a realistic and pragmatic drug policy that emphasizes the protection of general health and social well-being and the improvement of the health of addicts. Table, figure, and 35 references