Municipality-Non-Governmental Organizations in Ensuring City Safety: An Example of Preventing Child and Youth Criminality in Malatya

People living in urban areas have various local common needs, but the most prominent among them is undoubtedly living in a safe city. Regardless how adequate a city might have infrastructure and superstructure equipment, if its streets, avenues, commercial, open and closed areas lack the confidence of its inhabitants, a healthy social order cannot be established. In this study, the rehabilitation of children and youth involved in crime and their participation in social life within the scope of the cooperation of Malatya Yeşilyurt and Battalgazi Municipality with various non-governmental organizations for the purpose of ensuring urban security and building safer future was examined through case studies. Interviews were held with the Fire of Anatolia Sports Club Association, Orphans Caravan and Ya Damascus associations, among the associations in Malatya, and the impacts of the projects carried out with local governments on urban security were examined. The results revealed that the cooperation between local governments and NGOs yielded positive results and the sportive, educational support and guidance services received by young people and children should be continued increasingly. This study was conducted using phenomenological research design, as qualitative research method, and data were interpreted based on literature review and document analysis