The recent history of crime-prevention developments in France begins with the establishment of the Peyrefitte Commission in 1976. In response to public concern about violent crime, the commission was established to investigate violent crime and delinquency. The commission's report was implemented in part with the establishment of the National Council on the Prevention of Violence and "departmental" councils. The Council was not successful in stimulating many local changes. In 1982 a multi-party commission of mayors was established to develop proposals to combat crime and the fear of crime. One of the effects of this Commission's report was the establishment of a National Council on the Prevention of Crime in 1983. The Council coordinates the establishment and operations of local crime prevention councils. Although it is too early to assess the impact of the local city crime prevention councils, crime statistics show a decline in the national rate of crime per capita in 1985, 1986, and 1987. Lessons to be learned from the French model of crime prevention are that crime prevention efforts must be coordinated simultaneously and coherently at both national and local levels, that local efforts must involve an interagency approach to crime prevention, and that national crime prevention policies must be flexible enough for local adaptations. 4 tables