COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATIONS
That Council:
1. Approve
Crime Prevention Ottawa’s mandate as set out in its Terms of Reference
(document 1);
2. Receive
Crime Prevention Ottawa’s Strategic Plan (document 2).
Recommandation du Comité
Que le Conseil :
1. d'approuver le
mandat de Prévention du crime Ottawa tel qu'il est énoncé dans le document 1;
2. de recevoir le plan stratégique de
Prévention du crime Ottawa (document 2).
DOCUMENTATION
1.
Councillor Legendre’s report dated 8 March 2007
(ACS2007-CCS-CPS-0006).
Report to/Rapport
au :
Community and
Protective Services Committee
Comité des services communautaires et de protection
and Council / et au Conseil
8 March 2007 / le 8 mars 2007
Submitted by/Soumis par : Jacques Legendre
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Nancy Worsfold, Executive Director /
Directrice générale, Prévention du crime Ottawa
Crime Prevention Ottawa
(613) 580-2424 x28518,
Nancy.Worsfold@ottawa.ca
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Ref N°: ACS2007-CCS-CPS-0006
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SUBJECT:
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Crime Prevention Ottawa – Terms of
reference
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OBJET :
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prevention du crime – CADRE DE RÉFÉRENCE
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That Community and Protective Services Committee recommend that
Council:
1. Approve
Crime Prevention Ottawa’s mandate as set out in its Terms of Reference
(document 1);
2. Receive
Crime Prevention Ottawa’s Strategic Plan (document 2).
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Que le Comité des
services communautaires et de protection recommande au Conseil :
1. d'approuver le
mandat de Prévention du crime Ottawa tel qu'il est énoncé dans le document 1;
2. de
recevoir le plan stratégique de Prévention du crime Ottawa (document 2).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In November
2005, Legal Services provided the Board of Directors of Crime Prevention Ottawa
(CPO) with advice on organizational options as an external body. Subsequently the Board requested advice on
options as an internal organization to the City. The Board decided to adopt a new "hybrid" model as
their corporate structure. CPO is a
rather unique body with the following attributes:
·
Annual reports to City Council and the community;
·
Board to be comprised of a mixture of Councillors and
public members.
The Terms of Reference reflect
the concept that Crime Prevention Ottawa is a hybrid body half way between an
independent Non-Government Organization (NGO) and a City body. The Terms of Reference create accountability
and reporting relationships both to City Council and to a Community Forum. The Community Forum will not be a decision
making body, but will serve as an advisory group and feedback mechanism.
Crime Prevention Ottawa has also
developed a Strategic Plan that is dedicated to “crime reduction and enhanced
community safety in Ottawa through collaborative, evidence-based crime
prevention.” It brings together City
Government, Police Services, School Boards, the United Way as well as
community, business and academic partners.
Crime Prevention Ottawa developed
the Strategic Plan and the Terms of Reference based on an extensive community
consultation. There are no financial
implications associated with this report.
RÉSUMÉ
En novembre 2005, les Services
juridiques ont conseillé le conseil d'administration de Prévention du crime
Ottawa (PCO) au sujet de ses options organisationnelles en tant qu'organisme
externe. Par la suite, le conseil d'administration a demandé des conseils sur
les options en tant qu'organisme interne de la Ville. En fin de compte, il a
adopté un nouveau modčle « hybride » pour sa structure
organisationnelle. CPO est un organisme
plutôt unique en son genre ayant les caractéristiques suivantes :
·
il
présente son rapport annuel ŕ la Ville et ŕ la communauté;
·
son
conseil d'administration est composé de conseillers municipaux et de membres du
public.
Le mandat de Prévention du crime Ottawa reflčte
sa nature hybride, ŕ mi-chemin entre un organisatio non-gouvernementale (ONG)
indépendant et un organisme municipal. Le mandat établit une double obligation
de reddition de comptes et de présentation de rapports, ŕ la fois au Conseil
municipal et au Forum communautaire. Le Forum communautaire ne sera pas un
organisme décisionnel, mais remplira plutôt la fonction de groupe consultatif
et de mécanisme de rétroaction.
Prévention du crime Ottawa a élaboré un plan
stratégique visant ŕ réduire la criminalité et ŕ accroître la sécurité
communautaire ŕ Ottawa au moyen d'efforts de prévention du crime coopératifs,
basés sur des données. Il s'agit d'un regroupement auquel participent
l'administration municipale, les services policiers, les conseils scolaires,
Centraide ainsi que des partenaires provenant de la communauté, du monde des
affaires et du milieu universitaire.
Prévention du crime Ottawa a établi son plan
stratégique et son mandat ŕ la suite d'une consultation communautaire
exhaustive. Le présent rapport ne comporte aucune incidence financičre.
BACKGROUND
In early 2005 City Council
created a responsibility centre for crime prevention based on the 2004 report entitled “Community Crime
Prevention: Investing in a Safer Ottawa.” Council approved two seconded FTEs from the
Community and Protective Services Department and an ongoing base budget of
$400,000. The organization was tasked
to establish a permanent crime prevention responsibility centre, with a
Board of Directors and mandate to be approved by Committee and Council.
A Board of Directors was formed and in November 2005 staff were
engaged. Crime Prevention Ottawa looked
into three organizational options and based on extensive public consultation
and background research, Crime Prevention Ottawa has taken shape as a
leadership body, which unites the City, key institutions and the community with
a vision of Ottawa as a community in which individuals, families and neighbourhoods
are safe and feel safe.
DISCUSSION
Council approval is sought on a key
aspect of Crime Prevention Ottawa development as a permanent responsibility
centre: its mandate and organizational
structure as described in the Terms of Reference.
Terms of Reference
The Board of Directors of Crime
Prevention Ottawa has carefully considered these matters and has created the
proposed Terms of Reference which answers three basic questions: What is Crime
Prevention Ottawa’s role? To whom is
Crime Prevention Ottawa accountable? And how should the Board members be
appointed?
The vision of Crime Prevention
Ottawa is
a community in which individuals, families and neighbourhoods are safe and feel
safe. Its concrete mission is to
contribute to crime reduction and enhanced community safety in Ottawa through
collaborative, evidence-based crime prevention.
The Terms of Reference reflect
the concept that Crime Prevention Ottawa is a hybrid body half way between an
independent NGO and a City body. The
Terms of Reference create accountability and reporting relationships both to
City Council and to a Community Forum.
The Community Forum will not be a decision making body, but will serve
as an advisory group and feedback mechanism.
The Board of Directors will be
made up of seven institutional members: the City (3), the Ottawa Police Service
(1), the United Way (1), the school boards (1) and the Children’s Aid Society
(1). Another five general
representative Board members will be appointed by Council from the community
and academic researchers.
Strategic Plan
At the same time as Crime
Prevention Ottawa has been working on its Terms of Reference, CPO have also
moved forward with the substance of work through the development of a Strategic
Plan. The Strategic Plan will act as an
overarching plan to guide the work of our staff and board. In summary, Crime Prevention Ottawa is
dedicated to “crime reduction and enhanced community safety in Ottawa through
collaborative, evidence-based crime prevention.” It brings together City Government, Police Services, School
Boards, the United Way as well as community, business and academic partners.
Its goals include:
- implementing specific targeted crime
prevention programs and supporting programs through appropriate community
agencies and associations;
- seeking the funds and creating
partnerships essential for sustaining long term crime prevention programs;
- monitoring and evaluating progress and
impacts of plans and implementation.
The Strategic
Plan proposes actions for the next three years based on Crime Prevention Ottawa
(CPO) as a “Responsibility Centre” managing an ongoing planning cycle. In 2007, CPO will:
- Develop a targeted plan for Vanier and a
suburb to reduce crime and enhance community safety;
- Complete an analysis of gaps in services
for high crime areas in the City to promote improvements that will reduce
crime;
- Implement programs to prevent violence
against women through both school based programming and public education;
- Collaborate with community agencies to
reduce youth crime and gangs;
- Contribute to City initiatives to reduce
illicit drug problems;
- Build an infrastructure to enhance the
capacity of services and individuals in the City of Ottawa to prevent
crime.
By 2009, CPO
plans to influence spending by the federal and provincial governments as well
as the City so that taxes are invested efficiently and effectively in community
safety. It will use community planning
as well as neighbourhood-based data and knowledge to advocate for services to
address gaps that will reduce crime and improve community safety. It will have evaluated the results from the
2007 initiatives with a view to strengthening the plans to reduce crime and
improve community safety for future years.
Organizational Structure
In November
2005, Legal Services provided the Board of Directors of Crime Prevention Ottawa
(CPO) with advice on organizational options as an external body. Subsequently the Board requested advice on
options as an internal organization to the City. The Board decided to adopt a new "hybrid" model as
their corporate structure. CPO is a
rather unique body with the following attributes:
·
reports annually to City Council and the community;
·
the Board to be comprised of a mixture of Councillors
and public members.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
The Strategic
Plan refers to the need for a data analysis and community action plan for a
rural area by the third year of the plan.
CONSULTATION
Crime Prevention
Ottawa developed the Strategic Plan and the Terms of Reference based on an
extensive community consultation. This
included:
- A public forum in April 2006 attended by
approximately 190 people
- Formal and informal interviews with over
70 stakeholders, including 19 councillors and 5 City advisory committees
- Five targeted focus groups
- A public forum in September 2006 attended
by approximately 40 people
The Strategic
Plan was also built on the work of a Data committee that brings together City
and Police data experts and uses a geographic analysis and a literature review
of national and international best practices.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no
financial implications associated with this report. In February 2007, Council approved an ongoing Crime Prevention
Ottawa base budget of $400,000 for 2007 and two seconded FTEs from the
Community and Protective Services Department.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1: Crime
Prevention Ottawa – Terms of Reference
Document 2: Crime
Prevention Ottawa – Strategic Plan, January 2007
DISPOSITION
Crime
Prevention Ottawa to report back to Community and Protective Services Committee
and Council annually.
Document 1
Crime
Prevention Ottawa: Terms of Reference
1. BACKGROUND
In 2004 a Panel for Community
Safety was convened and it produced a report entitled “Community Crime
Prevention: Investing in a Safer
Ottawa.” The report was presented to City Council and a permanent
responsibility centre for crime prevention was created in the 2005 budget
process. (Motion no. 27/66)
2.
VISION
Ottawa is a community in which individuals, families and neighbourhoods
are safe and feel safe.
3.
MISSION
To contribute to crime reduction and enhanced community safety in
Ottawa through collaborative, evidence-based crime prevention
4.
GOALS
- To develop a community-wide
strategic plan to reduce crime and enhance community safety in Ottawa.
- To implement specific targeted
crime prevention programs and to support programs through appropriate
community agencies and associations.
- To assist and support community
groups and the City in acquiring, developing or enhancing the tools needed
to operate programs to increase safety.
- To seek the funds and create
partnerships essential for sustaining long-term crime prevention programs.
- To promote policy solutions to
issues of crime and disorder.
- To monitor and evaluate on an
ongoing basis the progress and impacts of plans and implementation
5. ACCOUNTABILITY
Crime
Prevention Ottawa was founded by the City of Ottawa and it is jointly
responsible to the City of Ottawa and to the greater community of Ottawa
through an annual report to City Council and to the Community Forum.
In
addition to the City of Ottawa, Crime Prevention Ottawa is a partnership of
four key institutions: the Ottawa
Police Service, the United Way/Centraide Ottawa, the Children’s Aid Society of
Ottawa and Ottawa’s four school boards through OCRI’s K-12 Leadership Group.
Crime Prevention Ottawa is governed
and guided by a Board of Directors which is responsible for setting strategic
direction, assuring sound financial management and hiring an Executive
Director. The Executive Director
reports to a personnel committee and to the Chair of the Board.
Crime Prevention Ottawa consults
with a Community Forum made up of stakeholders concerned with community safety
and crime prevention. The Community
Forum advises the Board of Directors with regards to emerging issues in the
community, priorities and successes.
6. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors, made up of
12 members, is a broad representation of the community and of institutions
which contribute to safety in our community.
The Board will be reflective of the community of Ottawa including
consideration of balance with regards to ethnocultural diversity, the English
and French communities, gender, rural-suburban-urban concerns and youth and
seniors issues.
6.1 Appointments
The Board
of Directors shall include two categories of membership: those who are appointed by the key
institutions and general representative members. The Board includes but is not limited to:
Appointments
by the founding institutions:
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One elected municipal official as appointed by Council
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The Mayor
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The Deputy City Manager responsible for Community and
Protective Services
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The Chief of the Ottawa Police Service
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One Director of Education (as appointed by the OCRI K-12
Educational Leadership Group)
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The President of the United Way
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The Executive Director of the Children’s Aid Society of
Ottawa
General
Representatives:
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Up to four representatives of the community as appointed by
Council. These representatives will
include a selection from: business, community associations, community service
providers.
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At least one academic or researcher with expertise on
matters related to community safety as appointed by Council
6.2 Term of Office
Members of the Board of Directors are appointed for a period of up to 4
years with a possibility of being renewed once.
6.3 Removal of Directors
The Board of Directors reserves the right, by a vote of a simple
majority, to remove members for non-attendance at meetings and other
exceptional circumstances.
7.
COMMUNITY FORUM
The Community Forum is an advisory
body. It gives feedback to the Board of
Directors with regards to planning and operations and advises with regards to
emerging issues in the community, priorities and successes. The Community Forum is made up of a broad
representation of the community and of institutions which contribute to
safety. The Forum will be reflective of
the community of Ottawa including consideration of balance with regards to ethnocultural
diversity, the English and French communities, gender, rural-suburban-urban
concerns and youth and seniors issues.
7.1
Appointments
Members of the Community Forum shall be appointed by the Board of
Directors based on a broad public recruitment in partnership with the City
Advisory Committees unit. The Forum
will be comprised of at least 30 representatives or individuals but no more
than 60 representatives or individuals.
7.2
Term of Office
Members of the Community Forum are appointed for a period of up to 4
years with a possibility of being renewed once with the exception of the first
appointees. The first group of
appointees will be randomly divided into 2 or 4 year appointments to create a
rotation of positions.
7.3
Removal of Members
The Board of Directors reserves the right, by a vote of a simple
majority, to remove members for non-attendance at meetings and other
exceptional circumstances.
7.4
Chair of the Community Forum
The Chair of the Community Forum shall be the Vice Chair of the Board
of Directors or another member of the Board of Directors.
7.5
Meetings
The
Community Forum will meet at least once a year. All meetings of the Forum shall be public meetings.
Document 2
Strategic Plan
Crime Prevention Ottawa
January 2007
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Executive Summary
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3
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Introduction
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5
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Methodology
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6
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Priorities for Community Crime Prevention
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7
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Recommended Actions: Planning for Crime Prevention
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9
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·
Responsibility Centre
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·
Safety Diagnosis
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Action
Plan
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Implementation
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12
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Evaluation
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Conclusion
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Crime
Prevention Ottawa (CPO) is dedicated to “crime reduction and enhanced community
safety in Ottawa through collaborative, evidence-based crime prevention.” It
brings together City Government, Police Services, School Boards, Child
Protection, the United Way as well as community, business and academic
partners. It was established in 2005 by City Council as a quasi-independent
body
Its
goals include:
- Implementing
specific targeted crime prevention programs and supporting programs
through appropriate community agencies and associations
- Seeking
the funds and creating partnerships essential for sustaining long term
crime prevention programs
- Monitoring
and evaluating progress and impacts of plans and implementation
It has developed a community wide
strategic plan to reduce crime and enhance community safety in Ottawa based on:
·
A public forum for community agencies and a consultation on
crime prevention
·
Geographic analysis of police data on crime and socio
economic indicators
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An initial inventory of services that might reduce crime
·
National and international knowledge from authoritative
sources on risk factors that predispose individuals, families and neighbourhoods
to crime
This
Strategic Plan proposes actions for the next three years based on Crime
Prevention Ottawa (CPO) as a “Responsibility Centre” managing an ongoing
planning cycle. In 2007, CPO will:
·
Develop a targeted plan for Vanier and a Suburb to reduce
crime and enhance community safety
·
Complete an analysis of gaps in services for high crime
areas in the City to promote improvements that will reduce crime
·
Implement programs to prevent violence against women through
both school based programming and public education
·
Collaborate with community agencies to reduce youth crime
and gangs
·
Contribute to City initiatives to reduce illicit drug
problems
·
Build an infrastructure to
enhance the capacity of services and individuals in the City of Ottawa to
prevent crime
By 2009,
CPO plans to influence spending by the federal and provincial government as
well as the City so that taxes are used to invest in community safety. It will
use community planning as well as neighbourhood-based data and knowledge to
advocate for services to address gaps that will reduce crime and improve
community safety. It will have evaluated the results from the 2007 initiatives
with a view to strengthening the plans to reduce crime and improve community
safety for future years.
Crime Prevention Ottawa
(CPO) was established as the result of a panel on community safety initiated by
City Councillor Jacques Legendre. That report was presented to City Council in
the fall of 2004, and led to the creation of Crime Prevention Ottawa.
CPO has a mission to
contribute to crime reduction and enhanced community safety in Ottawa through
collaborative evidence-based crime prevention. Its goals are:
· To develop a community-wide strategic
plan to reduce crime and enhance community safety in Ottawa
· To implement specific targeted crime
prevention programs and to support programs through appropriate community
agencies and associations
· To assist and support community groups
and the City in acquiring, developing or enhancing the tools needed to operate
programs to increase safety
· To seek the funds and create
partnerships essential for sustaining long term crime prevention programs
· To promote policy solutions to issues
of crime and disorder
· To monitor and evaluate on an ongoing
basis the progress and impacts of plans and implementation
The Board of Directors includes the Ottawa Police
Services, the City of Ottawa, community organizations, the University of
Ottawa’s Institute on the Prevention of Crime, the school boards, Children’s
Aid Society of Ottawa and the United Way/Centraide of Ottawa. The City of
Ottawa has allocated staff time, office space, and funds to CPO.
Consultants have been asked to assist the Board of Directors in
developing strategic priorities and plans for the next three years that will
ultimately make a difference in the City of Ottawa. The recommended actions
contained in this report, are the basis of a series of validation sessions with
members of the Ottawa community. The views and comments from those sessions
have been incorporated into this final version which was approved by the Board
of CPO in January 2007.
The strategic plan is based on information from a number of sources
including:
· A review of scholarly and popular literature,
along with government documents
· Materials produced by non-government
organizations, and websites of municipal, provincial and local governments and
crime prevention initiatives they fund
· A review of risk and protective factors
for crime prevention and approaches to crime prevention at the community level,
in Canada and other English-speaking countries, including the United Kingdom
and Australia
· Detailed statistical and GIS-based
analysis of selected 2005 Criminal Code of Canada Offences, 2001 Statistics
Canada census variables, and 2005 City of Ottawa land use data
· The Inventory of Crime Prevention
Programs prepared for CPO in 2005-06
· Notes from the Community Forum held in
April 2006
· Notes from interviews conducted by the
CPO Executive Director with a wide range of community and municipal
stakeholders in 2006
· Interviews with more than 25 key
informants, including all Board members and
representatives of key agencies in May and June, 2006
· A planning session of the Board of
Directors in August, 2006
· Validation sessions with five focus
groups and a public meeting in September 2006
The City of Ottawa’s Gender Equality Guide has been taken into
consideration in analysis of data and information.
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Priorities for Community Crime
Prevention
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Research has shown us that some people are more at risk of becoming
involved in criminal activity than others. The characteristics that put people
more at risk, called risk factors, exist at the individual level and are reflected
in how individuals relate to their families and others; at the community level,
and at the broader social level. For example:
· Individuals who are raised in families
with violence or abuse are more likely to become offenders
· Families that struggle with poverty or
violence are more likely to have children who become offenders
· Communities that are poor or where
services are inadequate or where drug deals are taking place have a higher
probability of criminal activity
· Tolerance of bullying and violence, or
provincial policies that result in large numbers of students being expelled
from school are all contributors to crime
· Inequality based on income or gender
may increase the probability of incidences of crime
An analysis of the location of the highest reported crime rates and the
social, economic and demographic characteristics in those neighbourhoods was
undertaken. It examined crime based on the number of crimes per capita, the
impact of the crimes, and those crimes identified as top neighbourhood concerns
in the 2005 Ottawa Police Service public survey.
Preliminary results show that the areas most likely to experience
criminal activity in the City of Ottawa include parts of the following
neighbourhoods:
· Lowertown
· Sandy Hill
· Centretown
· Vanier
Key-informant interviews conducted for this study did not identify
priorities for action on any geographic basis; instead, they spoke about
particular groups that should be priorities. For example, some described youth
with little attachment to school or community, and little support at home as
the most important crime prevention challenge. Others described the risks
facing social-housing communities, and the fear of a repeat of the Toronto
experience of violence in those communities. Others referred to lone parents
with little support and perhaps insufficient skills at parenting. Still others
spoke to the special challenges facing parents who are immigrants, as their
youth adapt to a new culture, and may not have many positive role models in
this new context.
A Community Forum hosted by CPO in April 2006 identified three major
crime issues in Ottawa:
· Violence (including violence against
women)
· Drug and addiction-related issues
· Crimes related to property and public
spaces
It is interesting that in these categories, neither
specific demographic groups nor specific crimes were identified; the emphasis
was on concerns about safety in the community, rather than specific incidents
or crimes.
However, in focus groups and a public meeting to validate a draft
strategic plan, there was consensus that in addition to the previously
identified downtown neighbourhoods, CPO needs to be attentive to emerging
trends and changing needs in suburban and rural Ottawa. In particular, CPO was called upon to
identify and support prevention strategies relevant for these communities as
well.
Representatives of agencies and institutions interviewed by the
consultants or CPO staff and participating in the validation focus groups and
public meeting highlighted the importance of the alignment of priorities,
objectives and activities, and therefore the need for collaboration. Smaller community agencies also serving
at-risk populations have identified the need for collaboration and the
elimination of “silos” with respect to crime prevention.
Important opportunities for alignment include:
· The City of Ottawa’s 20/20 plan, which
identified a coordinated approach to crime prevention within its action plan
· The United Way/Centraide Ottawa’s
identification of support to groups who are most likely to experience the risk
factors, either as possible offenders or victims, as one its priorities
· The Ottawa Police Service, with a
deputy-chief a member of the committee at the Canadian Association of Police
Chiefs dealing with community safety, health and well-being
· School boards, focusing on reducing
bullying, making schools a safe place where children and youth can thrive and
facilitating as many graduations as possible all contributing to crime
prevention in the future
There is broad community support for CPO coordination of crime
prevention activities, including enhancing programs by sharing best practices
and sharing local stories – stories of success and cautionary tales.
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Recommended Actions:
Planning for Crime Prevention
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The following graphic,
taken from the document that led to the creation of CPO outlines the steps to
be taken in preventing crime.
Specific recommendations for each of the relevant areas follow.
While some models of crime prevention have included only experts and
large institutions, and others have relied on local activists and smaller
agencies for their driving force, a combined approach is preferred.
Consequently, CPO intends to contribute to and support existing community
efforts, and to plan any future activity with all local partners who share an
interest in a safer Ottawa.
Planned Direction
Year 1:
· CPO will grow into a role as the
knowledge centre about crime prevention in Ottawa, as the advisor to funders on
crime prevention needs, and as a leader in promoting collaboration and
partnerships
· CPO will prepare and submit an annual
report to City Council, and will disseminate it to all interested stakeholders
By year 3:
· CPO will move from strategic funding to
strategic investment, and will engage
relevant institutions and community-based partners in determining the
most appropriate investments in any given demographic or geographic area
· CPO will develop an Ottawa Guide to
Strategic Investment in Crime Prevention
The starting point for planning crime prevention strategies is to
identify where the problems are, what services are in place to respond to them,
and where there are gaps. These steps will form a safety diagnosis, an
important component in tackling risk factors.
Planned Direction
Year 1:
· CPO will map the inventory of resources
· CPO will collaborate with service
providers to identify gaps
· CPO will develop a more detailed
statistical profile and action plan for one of the four neighbourhoods that
have been identified, through reported crime and socioeconomic data analysis,
as being highest priority, i.e., Vanier, Lower Town, Sandy Hill, and Centretown
· CPO will develop a more detailed
statistical profile and action plan for a suburban neighbourhood, to assess the
presence of risk factors
By year 3:
· CPO, in collaboration with other
partners, will monitor and gather data to help anticipate trends with respect
to risk factors and incidence of criminal activity
· CPO will develop a more detailed
statistical profile and action plan for a rural neighbourhood, to assess the
presence of risk factors
Once gaps have been identified, actions to fill them and to meet unmet
needs in the community are identified.
Planned Direction
Year 1
· CPO will use the following criteria to
determine priorities for policy, advocacy and action:
o
That the issue has
been identified as a priority
o
That the issue is
within our scope of influence and that we are likely to have an impact on the
issue - either because of timing or local importance
o
That we act with an
evidence-based approach
o
That we act in a
collaborative, consultative coalition building approach
· CPO will participate in the City’s
current neighbourhood planning process for Hintonburg, and in the anticipated
planning process for Vars
· CPO will participate in the
implementation of the City’s Integrated Drug and Addiction Strategy
· CPO will establish a working group to
work with agencies and organizations currently involved in services to at-risk
youth to identify and address gaps in service. Areas of particular interest
include identifying examining the possibility of a strategy similar to the
U.K.’s Youth Inclusion Program (YIP), providing advice and support to the
Ontario Government’s Youth Challenge Fund.
· CPO will work collaboratively with
women’s groups on preventing violence against women
By year 3:
· CPO will identify, monitor and
anticipate trends that impact on risk factors and the incidence of crime
· CPO will convene working groups for
other priority tasks
Making planned actions happen is the work of many organizations. CPO’s
role will vary over time, to respond to particular situations and needs.
Planned Direction
Year 1:
· CPO will add value to crime prevention
in Ottawa by providing “a source of sources”, data analysis and good practices
· CPO will seek opportunities to support
and add value to existing collaborations related to crime prevention, and will
seek support for any new initiatives
· CPO staff and Board will work to bring
value to on-going activities related to violence against women
· CPO will develop an effective website
to provide up-to-date information to community groups and initiatives
· CPO will develop other promotional and
informational material (i.e., crime at a glance)
· CPO will work with communities to
identify their needs for support with respect to crime prevention activities
By year 3:
· CPO will provide capacity supports that
have been identified by a needs assessment conducted with local organizations
· CPO will provide an annual report card
to the community
· CPO will implement appropriate
interactive mechanisms for communication among interested stakeholders
· CPO will host a regular conference
and/or training opportunities related to crime prevention
· CPO will support and advocate for
programs to fill gaps once mapping is completed
Evaluation is the way to know whether the actions are achieving their
goals. It is a way to help refine activities to make them more effective, and
to build capacity with community organizations. CPO plans to support and
encourage evaluation of crime prevention efforts, including its own.
Planned Direction
Year 1:
· CPO will identify evaluation strategies
and resources
· CPO will identify criteria for
evaluation of crime prevention strategies
· CPO will encourage evaluation for
evidence-based decision-making in all initiatives
· CPO will evaluate its own activities
and processes
By year 3:
· CPO will support monitoring and
evaluation of crime prevention strategies, for example, through the development
of checklists for neighbourhood organizing, providing expert help, or training
· CPO will evaluate its own activities
and outcomes, and will encourage the participation of community-based
organizations in the evaluation
Just as crime involves more than an
offender, opportunity and one or more victims, crime prevention is a job not
just for police but for entire communities. CPO brings together the
institutions that can positively influence and manage crime prevention in
Ottawa. The City of Ottawa, school boards, Children’s Aid Society, universities
and colleges, police, community service providers with programs serving those
most at risk of becoming victims and offenders and other stakeholders are all
at the table.
CPO has much to offer community groups and
agencies that are trying to work with those most at risk, and are trying to
make neighbourhoods safer. Responsiveness to new situations and information
will ensure the flexibility CPO will need. CPO will actively work with existing
organizations groups and institutions to implement crime prevention strategies.
Crime Prevention Ottawa will help develop the future paths that will guide
social and other investments for the City.
These proposed actions will result in a more
strategic, coherent and informed approach to crime prevention, making Ottawa
safer for us all.
Crime Prevention Ottawa Board of Directors
Michael
Allen, President, United Way/Centraide Ottawa
Caroline
Andrew, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences – University of Ottawa
Vince
Bevan, Chief, Ottawa Police Services
Janet
Crupi-Chair, Ottawa Young Offender Services Network
Claude
B. Gingras, President, Ginsberg-Gingras & Associates Inc.
Steve
Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager, City of Ottawa
Jacques
Legendre, Chair, Crime Prevention Ottawa and City of Ottawa Councillor
Barbara
MacKinnon, Executive Director, Children’s Aids Society of Ottawa
Mayor
Larry O’Brien, Mayor, City of Ottawa
Shoon
Omar, Community Developer/Crisis Worker, Lowertown Resource Centre
Lorne
Rachlis, Director of Education and Secretary of the Board, OCDSB
Irvin
Waller, Director, Institute for the Prevention of Crime
Crime
Prevention Ottawa Staff
Nancy Worsfold, Executive Director
Michael Justinich, Business Analyst
Francine Demers, Administrative Assistant
Contact
information:
110 Laurier Avenue West, 2nd
Floor, Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 613-580-2424 ext. 22454 Fax:
613-580-2593
E-mail: CPO@ottawa.ca
Website: http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/crime_prevention/index_en.html
