The analysis uses ideas from design, evolutionary epistemology, memetics, conventional anthropological opinions regarding cultural transmission and evolution, and organizational research on diffusion of innovation. The discussion focuses on "genotypic" principles of prevention that apply across contexts and across time and that can form the basis for applications in training, guidance, and design of knowledge bases. It relates general ideas about knowledge management to specific aspects of crime prevention knowledge and its practical application. The discussion examines the issues of replication, innovation, and anticipation. The analysis notes that awareness is increasing, that knowledge does not flow naturally from source to mainstream, and that instead it requires active efforts to ensure its implementation through a mixture of climate-setting, education and training, practitioner networks, guidance material, and the establishment of knowledge bases. Appended discussion of the conjunction-of-criminal-opportunity framework and 119 references