The article attempts to determine whether groups and individuals from disparate government and non-government sectors can work together to reduce or prevent crime, using Belgium as its case study. In 1992, Belgium launched its “safety and crime prevention contracts,” a series of locally based crime prevention initiatives that attempt to contract Federal, regional, and local governments to a range of social and police oriented crime prevention endeavors. The article suggests that much of the political rhetoric in Belgium calling for local, community and intersectorial partnerships has lacked clear practical expression. Those cities that seem to be effective in developing crime prevention strategies have successfully blended the three essential ingredients of adequate resourcing, harnessing, and directing local networks of power and maintaining political support. These three ingredients, plus integrating and involving local agencies and residents into theoretically developed policies, are integral to the success of local crime prevention policies. References