Bo Trygt aims to create resilient and safe local communities. Through collaboration between government agencies, civil society, and the business community, efforts are being made to strengthen local community safety, combat digital fraud, and reduce the number of burglaries. Here, the initiativeand sense of community within local communities playan essential role in protecting against insecurity.
Together, we can bring about greater change
There are many ways to prevent feelings of insecurity in everyday life, and increased video surveillance and stronger locks alone can only do so much. After all, we must not underestimate the value and potential of neighborly ties and a strong local community when burglaries, fraud, or crises arise. Here, the project seeks to foster local trust and a culture of stepping in to help, which authorities and civil society can support through policy frameworks and coordination.
Partnerships between municipalities and police districts are also a key driving force behind these efforts. Today, there are 25 “Bo Trygt” partnerships between the police and municipalities—and even more partnerships are on the way. A crucial lesson learned from eight years of “Bo Trygt” is that change requires flexibility. Initiatives must make sense at the local level, which is why the partnerships also vary depending on where they are implemented.
“Through its municipal partnerships, among other things, ‘Bo Trygt’ can reach a great many people. In this context, community organizing will be a relevant way to work with various local communities in collaboration with the authorities, so that a sense of security becomes something we create together—both locally and nationally,” explains team leader Ulla Schärfe.
From Campaigns and Awareness-Raising Efforts to System-Wide Collaboration
The Bo Trygt Alliance was established in 2018 as a collaboration between TrygFonden, Realdania, the Danish Crime Prevention Council, and Bolius. Since then, the alliance has helped bring together municipalities, foundations, research centers, law enforcement, and policymakers to improve safety in Denmark. Since Bo Trygt was launched, the number of burglaries in Denmark has been cut in half.
Originally, the initiative was aimed at reducing the number of burglaries, an area in which Denmark unfortunately ranked high in the statistics compared to its neighboring countries. Now, the strategic focus on public safety has been expanded to also include digital fraud and public safety.
In this context, safety is understood as a complex issue that requires collective responsibility and action. Therefore, this task falls not only to municipalities and the police, but also to civil society and national organizations, which can work together to develop and implement solutions that address insecurity so that everyone can live in safety.
The Backbone secretariat currently consists of Ulla Schärfe, Marie Hoff, Mads Schou, Siri Aagenæs, Olivia Lyhne, and Amanda Borg Gallmann—as well as Lisbet Bloch-Sørensen from Operate and, of course, the three dedicated program directors at TrygFonden: Britt Wendelboe, Peter G. H. Madsen, and Christoffer Elbrønd.
