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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSafe & Healthy - 2009-02-03SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 3, 2009 CITY OF KITCHENER The Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee met this date, commencing at 4:05 p.m. Present: Ms. K. Kwiatkowski, Chair Councillor B. Vrbanovic, L. Booth, T. Gardner, P. Doherty, D. Ahluwalia, B. Pegg, C. You, D. Pellerin, Superintendent B. Larkin and D. Bellamy. Staff: L. Palubeski, Manager of Program and Resource Services M. Hildebrand, Director of Community Programs & Services S. Wright, Manager of Downtown Community Development L. Korabo, Committee Administrator Other: S. Walpole, Community Safety & Crime Prevention Council As several new members were in attendance at today's Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee meeting, all members re-introduced themselves and stated their interest in the Committee. 1. INTRODUCTION OF DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE Mr. Denis Pellerin advised that he is a member of the Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC) and volunteered to be the cross-appointed member to the Safe & Healthy Community Advisory Committee. At its inaugural meeting, DAC held an orientation session similar to the one held for this Committee and also identified its' priorities for 2009. He noted that an item still considered important to DAC is the ongoing perception that the Downtown is unsafe. It was his hope that the two Committees could work together to change this perception. Ms. S. Wright, Manager of Downtown Community Development, gave a brief presentation on some of the projects DAC has been involved in and also gave an overview of projects beginning in 2009. She commented that some of DAC's 2008 projects involved safety in the Downtown and apologized for not providing a report on these matters to the Committee. One such project was a safety audit of Victoria Park. DAC members conducted this audit during night-time walks through the Park and discovered several simple ways to improve safety: trimming trees; cleaning lights; improving traffic sight lines; and, arranging plantings in a manner to provide for safer access. Ms. Wright then commented on the large streetscape reconstruction project that will be commencing in the Downtown in early April Phase I of the reconstruction will be along King Street from City Hall to Frederick Street. In 2010, work will continue along King Street toward Francis Street. She advised that it has been 25-30 years since the last King Street reconstruction and the work being undertaken at this time is strictly surface work. The streetscape project was precipitated by continued concerns about the lighting levels along King Street. She assured members that they will notice an increased wattage in the Downtown following the completion of the project and invited them to monitor its progress online as things move forward. Another new development in the Downtown is the pending construction of a parking garage at Charles and Benton Streets. Construction costs are being partially funded by the Province of Ontario as the facility will be supporting the new courthouse which is also being constructed in the core area. It was noted that the establishment of a consolidated courthouse facility will spur the establishment of support businesses such as lawyers' offices nearby. She also noted that work to improve the after-hours vitality of the Downtown is ongoing. Statistics indicate that 12,600 employees work in the Downtown between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.; however, in the same geographic area, there are only 1,800 residents. The goal of improving vitality is to have more people on the street at all times of the day. In response to a question, Ms. Wright advised that 20,000 people reside in the blocks adjacent to the Downtown and they help to support business activity in the core area. A question was raised, if the Downtown is as dangerous a place as the perception that most people have. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 3, 2009 - 5 - CITY OF KITCHENER 1. INTRODUCTION OF DOWNTOWN ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE tCONT'D) Superintendent Bryan Larkin, Waterloo Regional Police Services, introduced himself as the representative for the Committee, noting that the Police have made a commitment to improve liaisons with the community and as such, the Chief of Police has raised the seniority level of their representative to this Committee. Superintendent Larkin is the new Commander at Division 1 (Kitchener) having taken over in January 2009. Superintendent Larkin advised that the Department has statistics that show the number of calls for service in the Downtown area; however, he cautioned that calls for service do not always refer to criminal behaviour. He noted that Regional Police are taking a more holistic approach to dealing with crime and further indicated that only a small portion of the Downtown population is a target of crime. In addition, it was pointed out that police activity in an area can actually raise the level of crime for a time and that different areas of the community have different "make-ups" necessitating differing police approaches. Superintendent Larkin stated that there are more officers in the core area to actively target anti-social activities. These officers are in addition to a `core team' of officers that have been operating with a mandate targeting Downtown issues. The existence of the `core team' allows street officers to address more daily occurrences. For the information of the Committee, he advised that officers are currently investing funding to launch a breakfast program for men with alcohol issues, the hope being that if a full breakfast is provided to these individuals they may be less likely to need alcohol on a consistent basis. In closing, Superintendent Larkin advised that Regional Police is committed to a more dedicated approach to policing, particularly in the King Street area, but, also in other areas of the community. Councillor B. Vrbanovic noted that statistics have shown that Downtown streets are not any less safe than any other street in the city. Further, environmental scans show that in core areas no matter what the size, people feel less safe after dark. Mr. T. Gardner suggested that Your Kitchener Market should be considered as the location for the breakfast program. 2. ORIENTATION The Committee Administrator distributed revised copies of the Committee /Staff Contact List as well as general descriptions of roles /responsibilities for the following positions with each advisory committee: Chair; Vice-Chair; general Committee member; Committee Administrator; and, staff liaisons. 3. TERMS OF REFERENCE REVIEW -NEXT STEPS Ms. K. Kwiatkowski advised that she, the Vice-Chairs and support staff had held a brief planning session to lay the groundwork for the next few meetings. The results were as follows: • an in-depth Terms of Reference review will be started at the March meeting. Information presentations will be provided that will give context to some of the work of the Committee; • in April, work will continue on the Terms of Reference review and other new business will be discussed; and, • the May meeting will be a more intense session where the Committee's workplan will be developed by means of abrain-storming session. This meeting will be extended and will also include dinner. Ms. L. Palubeski advised that a trained staff facilitator will be brought in to lead the Committee through its Terms of Reference review. In addition, brief presentations will be made to provide context to the four areas of focus that are identified in the Terms of Reference, specifically: a) community safety and crime prevention; b) access and equity; c) poverty; and, d) local housing issues. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 3, 2009 - 6 - CITY OF KITCHENER 3. TERMS OF REFERENCE REVIEW -NEXT STEPS tCONT'D) The process of providing background information will begin today with the upcoming presentation by Ms. C. Sadeler of the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council (CSCPC) who will speak about the Integrated Model of Crime Prevention. This presentation will demonstrate who leads what part of crime prevention within the Region of Waterloo. Presentations will be given at the March meeting on the other three areas of focus. In addition, briefs will be distributed on other committees operating throughout the Corporation and dealing with issues that are similar to those in our current Terms of Reference. After these presentations, the Committee may feel that certain topics are being adequately addressed by other groups or that the work of the two entities can be integrated. Some of the committees that will be highlighted are the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) which is a regional committee dealing with accessibility issues and the Mayor's Advisory Council on Kitchener Seniors (MACKS). The April meeting will conclude the Terms of Reference review as this needs to be completed before discussions on the workplan can begin. Ms. K. Kwiatkowski noted the importance of being aware of what other committees within the organization are working on so that there is little or no duplication of effort or resources. 4. NEW BUSINESS Ms. L. Palubeski circulated flyers advertising a municipal breakfast networking opportunity which is taking place on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Rockway Golf Club. Members of the Committee, along with members of similar committees across the Region of Waterloo, are invited to intend and share information on Terms of References, best practices, concerns, etc. The breakfast is sponsored by the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council and is a follow-up to a speaker session held last year. The theme of the 2009 breakfast is `The Key to Safer Communities II'. Those interested in attending are asked to reply to Sharron Walpole at the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council by March 4. Flyers announcing the 31St Annual Justice Dinner were circulated. This event is being held at Bingeman's on Thursday, April 23, 2009 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Members were advised that the Committee has a reserved table with 8 available spaces and those who would like to attend should contact either L. Palubeski or L. Korabo to reserve a spot. Mr. T. Gardner displayed a 72-hour survival kit indicating that his backpack contained everything needed to sustain himself for 72 hours in case of an emergency situation or evacuation scenario. He noted that the Federal Government distributes a brochure which outlines all items to be included if assembling such a kit. A link to this information is available on the City's website at www.kitchener.ca. Mr. Gardner advised that, in his opinion, the importance of making citizens aware of this kit should be a priority and asked that the City of Kitchener take on an awareness campaign in the near future. Councillor B. Vrbanovic commented on City and Regional emergency preparedness noting that a training session where a simulated scenario is played out is being held for municipal staff on February 6, 2009. He noted that the emergency implementation plan does work and has already been put into use for some smaller, localized situations. Clarification was requested and it was noted that depending upon the type of emergency situation, the lead agency or lead individual changes. It can be the mayor of a municipality or the Fire or Police Service. A municipal emergency Control Group is in place and would be called into action should alarge-scale municipal emergency occur. Superintendent Larkin noted that the last time the Control Group was assembled was in August of 2003 when a hydro blackout occurred in parts of Canada and the northeastern United States. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 3, 2009 - 7 - CITY OF KITCHENER 5. PRESENTATION -INTEGRATED MODEL OF CRIME PREVENTION Ms. C. Sadeler, Executive Director of the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council (CSCPC) attended to present background information on the Integrated Model of Crime Prevention (IMCP) that has been developed locally. Ms. Sadeler displayed a diagram of current member agencies of the CSCPC, noting that representatives are reviewed /renewed annually and provide a high level of energy at its monthly meetings. Membership on the CSCPC is tailored to high level representatives of the various organizations (ie. Executive Directors) ensuring that there is a high level of decision- making ability at the table. The CSCPC acts as a stimulator, catalyst or facilitator of change and has three strategic directions which are reviewed annually, being: • education and communication -this direction is the most visible to the public as education campaigns appear in the local media. The goal of education is to provide tools to citizens that will help them feel safer; • partnerships -with committees and municipalities as well as Provincial and National bodies; and, • focused problem solving -the work of the CSCPC is not a direct service; however, it works to bring community partners together to develop projects and programs that create a safer community. If funds are secured, these are provided to community organizations to aid in their development of programs, etc. The IMCP was the result of a program called `Safe and Sound' which was Federally funded for three years. At the conclusion of that funding it was determined that things residents had learned could be used to continue good work. Residents live in the problem areas and need to continue to deal with issues and levels of insecurity once the original crisis has passed. However, there was confusion as to who would be called upon to lead the process of continued efforts. Ms. Sadeler advised that the CSCPC of Waterloo Region, Waterloo Regional Police Services and other community partners shared ideas for decreasing crime and victimization through a coordinated approach. The result of these discussions was the IMCP, developed in 2005, as a model for neighbourhood crime prevention work. The foundation of the model is the collaboration and commitment of neighbourhood services, law enforcement, human service providers, policy makers and citizens. It lays out who leads what and when in the area of crime prevention and has the ability to empower all community partners by providing an effective framework for them to work within. Neighbourhood-based and neighbouhood-driven prevention models have shown to effectively contribute to crime prevention and community safety. When all community members work together, development and sustaining a prevention agenda becomes possible. The IMCP consists of four sections covering: intervention /enforcement; recovery; renewal; and, prevention. A diagram laying out these sections was displayed and showed how each area flows into one another in crime prevention efforts at the neighbourhood level. Because of this flow through, smooth transitional leadership needs to occur therefore, key stakeholders need to be involved early in the process. The IMCP also shows the participants (residents, social service organizations and law enforcement) level of investment and involvement. Levels of involvement change during the crime prevention cycle and fluctuate between leadership roles at differing times of the model. In other words as the efforts of one partner decreases the efforts of another increases. This ebb and flow of leadership responsibilities leads to relationship building and various other community connections. She noted two other recent examples of CSCPC actions, being: development of an Integrated Drug Strategy and launching a Violence Prevention Implementation Committee. Mr. D. Pellerin provided an example of how the model works by explaining undesirable instances that occurred in his neighbourhood and how residents worked with Police to resolve them. The neighbourhood in question at that time was the Mount Hope-Breithaupt neighbourhood and the problem was with absentee landlords renting buildings indiscriminately with these houses being used as crack houses. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES FEBRUARY 3, 2009 - $ - CITY OF KITCHENER 5. PRESENTATION -INTEGRATED MODEL OF CRIME PREVENTION tCONT'D) Ms. Sadeler advised that this is a good example of working together to solve a neighbourhood problem and, in this specific case, the CSCPC did not have much involvement in the positive outcome. The end result of solving the problem was stressed, not simply causing the problem to relocate to another neighbourhood within the community. The CSCPC keeps record of many best practices that have been utilized in the community and highlights `good news' stories to pass along to other communities who are looking to establish similar organizations. They also advocate for sustainable funding for projects and programs as it is difficult to obtain core funding to build sustainable programs. Mr. M. Hildebrand noted that the `Safe and Sound Program' mentioned earlier as a forerunner of the IMCP is still ongoing in the community and has been instrumental in the pending establishment of a permanent community centre. 6. ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:54 p.m. Linda Korabo Committee Administrator