BY ADRIAN ADORE
The letters C.S.W.B. themselves stand for Community Safety and Well-Being. C.S.W.B. Plan is a planning framework based on the community safety and well-being concept that the Government of Ontario has identified through Bill 175 – The Safer Ontario Act, as necessary for community health. The idea itself is simple. It is a focus on ways to Improve and Promote Community Safety.
So, what does a safe community look like? A genuinely safe community exists when all of its members are well fed, have a warm place to sleep, clothing on their backs, money for goods and services and good health, both physically and mentally. Further, it is an environment that thrives with opportunities for learning, inspirational platforms for self-expression and the support of healthy relationships. Ideally, a safe community is also one where crime is neither considered nor committed.
Having an entirely safe community is potentially viewed as a utopian “perfect world” ideology and perhaps in some people’s minds impossible to achieve. Making significant improvements to community safety and well-being, however, is undoubtedly attainable. Every person, community group, organization, business, public, and emergency service in a community has ways and opportunities to contribute to their community’s wellness and safety.
Our community, the Regional Municipality of Peel, the place where we live, work and play, is our collective responsibility. Through the collaborated efforts of over twenty-five organizations that represent this region’s emergency services, school boards, health and social service providers and governments, the development of Peel’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan is now in place for us; the stakeholders of our community, to do our part.
The safety and well-being of the community we serve is our highest priority. With our community partners’ help, we are dedicated to evolving our role so that our contributions result in the most significant positive impact for our community.
So, what is the role that Peel Regional Police play in Peel’s C.S.W.B. Plan?
We have outlined some Community Safety and Well-Being information on our website.
It is recognized that many issues impact the safety of the community. Peel Regional Police, along with our partners’ help, are focusing our collaborative efforts on current priorities; mental health and addiction, family and intimate partner violence (F.I.P.V.) and the issue of systemic discrimination.
To address these current priorities, we have.
- Partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association to launch our Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (M.C.R.R.T.) program and with Peel Addiction Assessment and Referral Centre(P.A.A.R.C.) to support members of the community who may be in crisis due to an addiction or are looking to get support/information about alcohol, drugs or problem gambling. These collaborations allow us to provide a healthy response to a health problem. Visit our website to read the article A Day with M.C.R.R.T.
- Launched the “It’s Not OK” awareness campaign with Peel Partners (Region of Peel, Cities of Brampton and Mississauga, the Town of Caledon, O.P.P. and others) to generate increased access to information and resources related to Family and Intimate Partner Violence (F.I.P.V.) and the creation of a centralized IPV (Intimate Partner Violence) Unit. For more information about this initiative visit our website to read the article Family and Intimate Partner Violence – It’s Not OK.
- Conducted an internal culture survey with Peel Regional Police employees, both sworn and civilian. Needed changes were identified, including those that would both help us better serve our community and make our organization an even better place to work. Those changes began. Among those required changes were the organizational structure’s realignment, the investment into new units to serve our community better and technology such as body-worn cameras and digital evidence management initiatives.
Peel Regional Police’s role in contributing to the highest level of safety in our community is through healthy and collaborative social development, prevention, risk intervention, and incident response. Continuing to address crime proactively, strengthening how we engage with our community, and further developing educational programs are the necessary tasks that Peel Regional Police will continue to undertake.
Peel Regional Police supports the safety and well-being of the community through collaboration and partnerships.