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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2004
PANEL AIMS TO INCREASE SAFETY THROUGH CRIME PREVENTION
Ottawa – The Panel for Community Crime Prevention wants to make our
neighbourhoods safer – and the best way to accomplish that goal is
through prevention. By investing in families, children and youth,
crime rates decrease while socio-economic benefits increase. For
example, programs providing parent training and support for at-risk
families with newborns have reduced youth arrests by 66%, while also
reducing child abuse and neglect by 62% to 79%. It is simply easier
and cheaper to prevent crime from happening than to deal with it
once it occurs.
Vince Bevan, Chief of the Ottawa Police Service believes in a
community-based crime prevention approach. “Police chiefs across
Canada are recognizing the need for independent crime prevention
responsibility centres. More and more, key community agencies are
coming together for problem solving and to look for ways to attack
the root causes of crime. It’s important that we persist. We must
continue to build relationships that will render our neighbourhoods
safe and secure for all who live there.”
The Panel for Community Crime Prevention is a coalition of community
leaders whose goal is to make our neighbourhoods safer through crime
prevention. The Panel recommends the establishment of a permanent
municipally led crime prevention responsibility centre to reduce
crime and enhance community safety. By bringing key organizations
together and investing in an integrated crime prevention strategy,
such a centre can concentrate investments in areas of need; be
comprehensive, impact-driven and evidence-based; build relationships
and foster partnerships; initiate and sustain community
mobilization; elicit public support and assure intergovernmental
cooperation and coordination; monitor and evaluate on an ongoing
basis the process and impacts of plans & implementation; and conduct
strategic analysis of Ottawa crime and it’s causes.
Dr. Irvin Waller, professor of criminology at the University of
Ottawa and internationally renowned crime prevention expert,
advocates the benefits of preventative approach. “In simple terms,
adding more police officers and building more prisons flies in the
face of considerable international evidence about what is
cost-effective in reducing crime. We know, from a series of
comprehensive spending reviews, analyses of what you get for
investments in terms of crime reduction, that there is significant
benefit from organizing to tackle causes of crime more effectively.”
We are not alone in promoting a collaborative and preventative
approach to reducing crime. The United Nations, World Health
Organization, International Centre for the Prevention of Crime and
the U.S. Surgeon General all stress that targeting the “root causes”
of crime cuts victimization and provides collateral social and
financial benefits. In addition, the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities urges city leaders across the country to create and
support municipally led infrastructures to integrate local crime
prevention initiatives.
Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli is also supportive of the Panel’s
initiative. “Establishing a permanent crime prevention centre is
aligned with the City of Ottawa’s 20/20 Principle of A Caring and
Inclusive City characterized in part by Personal Safety and
Security. An integrated crime prevention strategy is also compatible
with the strategic directions outlined in the City’s Human Services
Plan: Safe and Healthy Communities and A Focus on Prevention.”
According to City Councillor Jacques Legendre, this strategy makes
financial sense. “The costs of the Ottawa Police Services have
climbed 26% in four years. This is the very best strategy for
controlling growing policing costs in the near future. The best time
to act would be 5 years ago. The second best time is now. The worse
time is 5 years from now.”
On Thursday October 7th, the Panel for Community Crime Prevention’s
report will be tabled at the City of Ottawa’s Health, Recreation and
Social Services Committee.
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For more information: Councillor
Jacques Legendre, 580-2483
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