Archive for the 'Education & Awareness' Category
Summer Flashbacks
Downtown Plaza Park, Red Deer
It seems that summer has come and gone … quickly. Even so, it was enjoyable and there were many activities throughout the last few months that reminded me of how great Red Deer really is. With many people taking some time off through the summer (including myself), we still managed to pull off some terrific projects and there are still plenty to come. Our city is growing and vibrant and we should all be proud of the good work that is being done by many people in our community.
With elections just around the corner we need to continue to focus on important issues in our community and listen to concerns. Community safety and crime prevention will undoubtably remain a priority for residents. We have been fortunate in Red Deer that City officials and the RCMP remain focused on community safety and reducing crime. However, these challenges require diligence and help from the general public.
There was little gloom and doom this summer and the sound of music could often be heard along Ross Street. In my June feature I wrote about street pianos and was so taken by the idea that I purchased one of my own. It seemed like a great idea, so I had it refurbished and gave it back to our community for my 50th Birthday. Family and friends helped make it a reality. It was great having my cup of coffee at City Roast and wandering down a few doors to listen to someone play for a few minutes or a few hours. There has been plenty of talk around town and even some visitors that enjoyed it. In fact, my friend Lorne Daniel (a contributor) wrote about this recently in his blog feature titled ” Living in the world.”
We also saw the launch of an important community project called We Care this summer. As the slogan states “Red Deer cares about homelessness in our community”. This campaign will continue to evolve and addresses another important community issue in our city. Learn more about how you can care by visiting www.reddeercares.com
A final treat to kick off this months feature is a great video that a good friend shared with me recently. See – Stand by Me
No commentsSymptoms of At Risk Communities
Vandalism, graffiti, loitering and other forms of nuisance crimes are usually the first symptoms of a community at risk.
The big question of course is how to approach these issues. Do we place sole responsibility on the police, social agencies, communities or the government? There is always more than one way to solve a problem. Relying on one group or organization is not reasonable or fair. Criminological issues are complex and to “solve” these issues we need a wide-range of expertise and talents from a larger group of professionals.
I remember seeing an article in the Edmonton Sun in January of this year. This article was about the community’s fight against social disorder and it brought back some real memories for me. Last fall I was traveling through Hobbema (Native Reserve south of Edmonton) and I was quite shocked at what I observed. The images of this community, burnt out homes, loitering gangs and graffiti everywhere reminded me of my UN peacekeeping tour in Croatia….the same landscape. How can this exist in Canada!
Last year, Hobbema was racked with gang violence which culminated in the murder of a young adult struck by random gunfire. The community had enough and began working closely with the RCMP, Government and they engaged the youth. Social disorder would not be tolerated…was the message. Graffiti was promptly removed, gang members were identified and counseled and some were even arrested. Everyone got involved!
A year later there had been a dramatic improvement. Cultural public art is now seen throughout this community, and the youth are kept busy. The community should be recognized for their efforts. By tackling the small issues one at a time they took care of the larger issues. A community that does not tolerate petty crimes will mitigate bigger problems. New York is another excellent example on a large scale; Petty crimes will not be tolerated.
Communities must give careful consideration to nuisance crimes, loitering, trespassing, vandalism and graffiti. Early intervention in these types of crimes WILL help mitigate the more serious crimes of assault, theft and homicide.
Spring has, somewhat, arrived in Alberta. In the crime prevention world the season of nuisance crimes has also arrived. We must not let social disorder take over. Our community’s must work closely with the police and municipal bylaw services. We must deal with such things as illegal parking, late night partying, vandalism and graffiti.
The City of Edmonton has ramped up their Capital City Clean Up program. This is an effective City Organization that is an excellent resource for home and business owners to deal with graffiti. Literature, phone numbers, strategies and cleaning kits are readily available. You can find many resources by exploring the City of Edmonton Graffiti Management Program and be sure to view the video clip and other related documents that can help you.
Dealing with petty crimes is not just a Police problem…it’s our problem! Get involved, enjoy your summer and remember that Alberta Crime Prevention Week is from May 9th – 15th.
Greg Smith is a leading CPTED expert located in the City of Edmonton. For more information on Greg click here.
No commentsThe Writing is on the Wall
Ogden Point - Victoria, BC
Recently, I attended The Anti Graffiti Symposium (TAGS) in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia. Hosted by the Victoria Police Department and the Township of Esquimalt it proved to be an interesting couple of days with a variety of exceptional speakers, both local and International. The objective of the 2009 TAGS event was to educate law enforcement agencies, government, crime prevention professionals and the general public about issues of graffiti crime in their communities and to clarify some of the following questions about this type of vandalism: Who is doing it, what does it mean, how do we investigate it, how do we prevent and control it?
Speakers from as far away as Sweden and Australia joined other experts from various US cities and Canadian authorities from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to offer their insights on the subject. As a Crime Prevention practitioner specializing in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), it provided me with an abundance of information that can now be shared with my own community and others throughout Central Alberta. Read more »
1 commentPerception not Always Reality
Conducting various projects throughout the City of Red Deer I often find myself downtown. It’s an area of our city that I spend a lot of time in. It’s safe, vibrant and changing for the better! This is thanks to great people that make up our community.
Case in point, Mickey Warkentin, this month’s guest contributor for our blog. I first met Mickey earlier this summer while downtown having a bowl of soup at Potter’s Hands. No, I’m not homeless but I like to be inclusive and get to know other members of my community. This is something I highly recommend for anyone that doubts the potential we all have to change and become more accepting of ALL our neighbours … every single one of us.
Mickey is one of the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta, Red Deer Chapter’s most giving and reliable volunteers. She has impacted our community in many ways and continues to shine bright, volunteering for organizations such as United Way of Central Alberta, Potter’s Hands Ministries, Canadian Mental Health Association, Crisis Pregnancy Care Centre, Women’s Emergency Shelter and more. Recently, I asked Mickey to share some of her insight as it relates to safety and crime prevention. Mickey writes:
4 commentsDon’t Stop Believing
Arnel Pineda of Journey
This is an inspiring story indeed and one that should be shared, especially among those who could use a little good news now and then. All too often, in communities throughout the world we hear about our homeless and those living in poverty. Many stories are negative but as we give thanks today for all that we have, we should celebrate, for there are those that refuse to give up and serve as beacons of hope. Here is a success story that will inspire all of us and demonstrates the strength in those who “Don’t Stop Believing“.
Many communities, including Red Deer, Alberta have identified Homelessness as a priority. City council recently endorsed “Everyone’s Home” – a 5 year community initiative towards ending homelessness from 2010 – 2015 Many people and various organizations have taken the lead in getting people off the street and into necessary shelter. A social marketing campaign is also well underway in an effort to reduce discrimination and hopefully change the way we treat some of our most vulnerable community members.
1 commentAre You a Community Builder?
Being a real Community Builder is not a difficult task for anyone to achieve and there are numerous ways of going about it. Whether you operate a small business such as I do or your a corporate giant, there are many ways of giving back to your community. Anyone can provide for their community – simply volunteer your time. It’s not always about money, it’s about community spirit.
Alberta Venture magazine is a resource I often refer to and glean information for my business. Their September issue provided a definitive report card on corporate Alberta. You know, the best of the best, the biggest deals, the largest employers and so on. It’s always interesting as well as informative. However, last weeks breakfast talk by Brett Wilson provided me with a new perspective on corporate wealth in our country and throughout the world. The event was hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Red Deer, another bright light in our own community.
When you look at Alberta Venture’s ranking of the Top 100 companies for 2009 and the revenues these corporations have generated, it’s nothing short of staggering. Yet, with all this wealth we still face big community issues such as crime, homelessness, addiction and poverty. The good news, as Brett pointed out, is that we all have choices and one of these is charitable giving. He described this as an opportunity,
No commentsCommunity Information Referral Society (CiRS)
Every once in while, we find a great resource that is well worth sharing with everyone. Although CiRS operates in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, it’s well worth a look. CiRS is a non-profit source of information for Central Albertans. It seems to me that any community would benefit by using their model and creating a similar organization. After all, their Mission Statement and Vision is powerful stuff!
The synergies that can be created as a result of this type of organization is what every community needs!
Mission Statement: To engage and empower citizens and strengthen our community through efficient and effective information, development, and support.
Their Vision: A strong thriving volunteer sector (Community Services) through leadership and partnership.
CiRS works with individuals and agencies to find the help they need. They offer leadership for conference management, promotion of educational opportunities, volunteer management and program development. This type of organization brings information alive and so can you!
Recently, CiRS produced a great video about “Community”. Various leaders and residents from our community shared their thoughts and I’m sure you will find it as inspiring as I did. Please visit our Community Information Referral Society (CiRS)
No commentsSmall Communities BIG Challenges
Small rural communities throughout Central Alberta are certainly making the news this summer. Headlines like “Rocky Tops Crime Rate” and “Let’s Put a Stop to all the Trouble in Stettler.” According to Statistics Canada, Rocky Mountain House reported the highest crime rate among eight Central Alberta communities last year. The community of Stettler followed, with 16,863 criminal code incidents per 100,000 population. A Stettler resident submitted a letter to a local newspaper stating that the community has lost too many loved ones and that Stettlerites need to band together and help the RCMP do their jobs more efficiently. ”I plead for your help to make Stettler a safer place“, the resident writes.
SAFEGROWTH
Creating safe growth in communities throughout the world is no small task and certainly requires a guiding light to ensure success. Greg Saville, a professional colleague has been leading the way and hosts a great blog on creating safe neighborhoods. We are certainly “Like Minded” and share a passion for this type of work, often commenting on each others blogs and providing feedback for our readers.
A former Police Officer himself, Greg’s expertise is quite diverse. He is a criminologist as well as an urban planner and was one of the Co-founders of the International CPTED Association. His wealth of knowledge and his commitment to creating safe communities is evident and I encourage you to visit his SafeGrowth Blog and share your comments.
“Only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found.” Anne Morrow Lindbergh
No commentsColor your World
City Hall Park, Red Deer, Alberta
An old 1972 classic titled “Concrete Sea” by songwriter/musician Terry Jacks got me thinking about how important color really is in our communities. In the main verse of his song, Jack’s sings “No one is meant to be living here in a concrete sea”. If you look around many cities you will understand where his thoughts came from. This is especially true in many urban downtown areas of our cities, but this is starting to change and that’s encouraging.
City Hall Park in Red Deer, Alberta is a prime example and a popular gathering place throughout the summer months. Think about how you feel and act when you see color and you will appreciate how important it can be in various settings. As crime prevention practitioners, urban designers, architects and anyone dealing with the built environment, learn to utilize more color. Colorful landscaping arrangements in our green spaces, textured pathways that incorporate color, and murals are only a few great examples of how we can use color to brighten up our lives. Read more »
4 comments