HomeMy WebLinkAboutSHCAC - 2012-03-01 - Safe Neighbourhood StrategyDRAFT
Statement on the City's Role in Neighbourhood Safety
(Last update: February 16, 2012)
We all want to live in healthy and thriving neighbourhoods, where everyone feels like they belong and
everyone feels safe.
The City of Kitchener recognizes that community safety and crime prevention are basic elements in the
quality of life and sustainable development of municipalities. Kitchener's citizens share this same
understanding; public consultations have consistently identified safe and secure neighbourhoods as a
high priority.
As a municipal government, the City plays a key role in preventing crime and addressing the safety and
security of neighbourhoods. Crime and violence are highly complex issues with various risk factors and
multiple root causes. The most efficient and sustainable solutions to crime involve multiple agencies and
actors in a municipality. We Know-through experience and from the research -that increasing
neighbourhood safety can be achieved only if all of the dynamic forces within a community work
together using an integrated and coordinated way.
We also know that it is often the most vulnerable, neglected and excluded members of society who
have the highest risk of becoming victims of crime and of becoming involved with the criminal justice
system. As a result, we have informally adopted a prevention approach to community safety that
focuses primarily on addressing the roots of crime.
Primary Prevention through Social Development
The City of Kitchener engages in many specific activities that are focused on fostering community health
and safety through social development. This includes, but is not limited, to:
^ Formal and informal recreation and leisure opportunities
^ Subsidy programs that enable participation
^ Neighbourhood-based community resource centres
^ Dining programs for older adults which reduce isolation
^ Professionally-supported volunteer and community engagement opportunities
^ Fire prevention programs
^ A corporate diversity program to build cultural competence among staff
^ Youth advisory committee
^ Minor sports programs
Primary Prevention through Land Use Planning
Effective urban design is demonstrated to create and nurture safe neighbourhoods. Research shows that
people living in greener surroundings report lower levels of fear, fewer incivilities and less violent
behaviour. The more, trees, grass, trails and shared natural spaces available, the more they are used
and, by extension, the more opportunity for informal social interaction and a greater sense of
community. Examples of the city's efforts in this area include:
^ Urban Design Guidelines
^ 2010 Parl<s Strategic Plan
^ Victoria Parl< upgrades
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Primary Prevention through Environmental Design
Pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, the removal of graffiti and garbage in public places, bright and creative
use of lighting, and well maintained and inhabited buildings and animated streets make public spaces
feel safe. In addition, the City of Kitchener applies the principles of CEPTED -Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design -to all new development, through the site-plan review process and works with all
partners- including fire, police and neighbourhood members-to ensure CEPTED recommendations are
implemented.
Targeted Activities
In addition, the City is involved in fostering community safety and security through targeted activities
such as the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee (SHCAC). The role of the Safe and Healthy
Community Advisory Committee is to advise Council and staff on a broad range of matters related to
building and maintaining the vitality and the health of this community. Specifically, the committee is to
consider and advise on the municipality's role in community safety and crime prevention initiatives with
an emphasis on community partnerships and collaboration.
Community Partnerships
The community has long understood that partnerships are the most effective tool for crafting a safe
community. Some of the city's current partnerships include:
^ Downtown Safety and Security Roundtable
On a quarterly basis, the Mayor holds a Downtown Safety and Security Roundtable where cross-
sectional partners gather to learn about and plan actions to address current and emerging issues
of safety and security in the core.
Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council (WRCPC) is an advisory committee to Regional
Council that works with community partners to reduce and prevent crime, victimization and fear
of crime. The goal of the council is to bring individuals, neighbourhoods, organizations and
government together to close gaps in programs and services and identify new directions for
crime prevention. The primary focus is on social development as a way to address crime at its
roots.
^ National Crime Prevention Network
In 2007, the city was a founding member of this organization with a mandate of building
municipal capacity to harness promising practices in crime prevention through the sharing of
knowledge and program models through municipality-to-municipality mentor relationships.
^ Enforcement efforts
The city continues to work closely with the Waterloo Regional Police Service to ensure a
consistent approach and message and collaborative enforcement. Enforcement staff continue to
train with various partners and agencies (ie. mental health, outreach etc.) to ensure proper
responses to various issues of safety and security in the community.
Considering all of the above, what is needed now is apartnership-based, community-driven vision of
neighbourhood safety, and a coordinated strategy for our collective work towards building a safe and
healthy city.
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