DOCUMENT 5
CRIME PREVENTION OTTAWA - NATIONAL
ACTION TO PREVENT CRIME AND ENHANCE COMMUNITY SAFETY
prÉvention du crime OTTAWA - ACTION CONCERTÉE À L’ÉCHELLE DU PAYS VISANT À
PRÉVENIR LA CRIMINALITÉ ET À RENFORCER LA SÉCURITÉ COMMUNAUTAIRE
ACS2008-CCS-CPS-0013 CITY
WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE
The Chair advised that Councillor Legendre had
circulated the related documentation on this matter to members of the Committee
on 19 March 2008. As detailed in his
e-mail, he also requested that the Motion, if approved by the Committee and
Council, be circulated to other municipalities through AMO, AFMO, FCM, local
MPPs and MPs.
Moved by A. Cullen
WHEREAS
intergovernmental organizations, such as UN Habitat and the World Health
Organization, as well as a many Canadian organizations have reviewed the
scientific research world wide to conclude that:
·
Rates of violence and crime have been reduced cost
efficiently by tackling the multiple causes in a concerted manner and that this
knowledge can be used much more in Canada,
·
Municipalities are the order of government most able
to collaborate with local agencies and neighbourhoods to identify the needs for
service and so tackle the roots of crime,
·
Two out of three Canadians prefer to lower crime
through additional money and effort in education and jobs rather than police
and prisons; and,
WHEREAS the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and
the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police have called on all orders of
government to collaborate in national action to prevent crime that tackles its
roots; and,
WHEREAS the Government of Alberta has acted to
invest in concrete steps to combine prevention, treatment and enforcement in
reducing crime and enhancing community safety, including supporting
municipalities; and,
WHEREAS
municipalities are a key to a safer Canada, yet:
·
They have the least resources of any order of
government to invest in programs that work,
·
Their resources for current prevention programs are
being cut to pay for more police officers to react to crime,
·
Lack of resources for prevention now, means pay
later for more police officers;
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Community and Protective Services Committee
recommend that Council:
1. Takes note of the
guiding principles to reduce crime and enhance community safety contained in
the attached backgrounder developed by Municipal Network on Crime Prevention;
and,
2. Calls on all orders of government in Canada to:
a.
Collaborate
in concrete and urgent action to tackle the roots of crime and violence, including
responsibility centres at the highest level to guide and monitor success; and,
b. Engage
the public and community services such as schools, housing services and youth
programs to tackle the causes of crime and violence; and,
c. Improve
data such as crime victim surveys to target actions and establish national
standards and training to ensure success; and,
3. Calls on Federal,
Provincial and Territorial governments to provide sustained investment in
targeted services that prevent crime, including support for municipal governments to foster collaborative and
evidence based strategies to guide those investments; and,
4. Calls on all orders of government to ensure
that:
a. Services that tackle the roots of violence are not cut to pay
for more reaction; and,
b. Annual increases in funding to pay for law enforcement are
matched by similar increases in services targeted to tackle the roots of
violence; and,
5. Requests the Big City Mayors Caucus and FCM to ensure that the
Prime Minister and Provincial Premiers, local MP’s and MPP’s and the Canadian
public understand the urgency for action.
6. The
Board of Crime Prevention Ottawa requests that the Council circulate its motion
of support to other municipalities through AMO, AFMO, FCM, local MPPs and MPs.
CARRIED
At the request of the Councillor, the Committee agreed
to forward this to Council on 26 March 2008.