DURHAM REGIONAL POLICE CRIME PREVENTION

Transcription

1 DURHAM REGIONAL POLICE CRIME PREVENTION SECOND QUARTER REPORT October 01, 2002 Crime Prevention is one of the five core functions that a Police Service is required to undertake pursuant to section 4(2) of the Police Services Act: 1. Crime Prevention 2. Law Enforcement 3. Assistance to Victims of Crime 4. Public Order Maintenance 5. Emergency Response. and section 1(1), 2(1)(2), 3 and 29 of Ontario Regulation 3/99 dealing with Adequacy and Effectiveness of Police Services: Police forces shall provide community-based crime prevention initiatives. Every chief of police shall establish procedures and processes on problem oriented policing and crime prevention initiatives. Crime Prevention covers a very broad spectrum of activities undertaken by members of our Police Service. These activities can include: Checking the security of business premises during the night shift Checking on those individuals residing in our communities bound by bail conditions, on parole, registered as a sexual offender Directed and self-directed patrols to areas where high levels of crime are known to occur. Operational projects targeting specific illegal activities Crime Prevention is more often associated with those activities involving the delivery of programs and awareness presentations to members of our communities. One of our key partners is educators and involves the delivery of these programs and presentations in our school institutions.

2 During 2001, this Police Service with the support of the Police Services Board instituted Community Resource Units in every Community Police Office with a total staff commitment of 43 officers. This commitment equates to a budget impact of approximately 4.3 million dollars. Position Clarington Oshawa Whitby Ajax Pickering North Durham Youth Officer High School Officer Elementary School Officer Traffic Coordinator Target Team Supervisor (Sgt.) Total Regional Total 43 The last of these officers were assigned in early 2002 to complete the units in each Community Police Office. One of the main functions of these Community Resource Units is to provide educational programs and presentations to our youth and work very closely with educators to reduce illegal activities committed by and against our youth. Officers attend schools on a daily basis interacting with students and staff. Officers assigned to the schools have a zero tolerance for youth violence and illegal gang activities with a strong enforcement component in their mandate. Officers assigned to schools in the Region are supported by our Street Crime Unit when involved with street level gangs. This Police Service historically has only tracked the activities of those members of the Regional Community Services Unit with any regularity. Program IMPAKT The Durham Regional Police Service applied to the Ministry of the Solicitor General Policing Services Division in the fall of 2001 for a grant available to Police Services for Youth Violence and Awareness Initiatives. Being successful in their submission the Service entered into a partnership with local Boards of Education, local media and Durham College Foundations students to develop a new youth program that targets youth violence including crime prevention and awareness components. IMPAKT is an interactive program delivered by our High School Liaison Officers to grade nine students. The object of the program IMPAKT is to inform students of their Charter Rights and Freedoms, Definitions of varying criminal offences, an understanding of how crime affects our communities and victims, understanding the importance of reporting crime and a large component deals with bullying. 2

3 The following chart lists the activities of those officers delivering Crime Prevention Programs and Presentations that are currently assigned to the Community Resource Units in our Community Police Offices as well as those members assigned to the Regional Community Services Unit. Program Regional /Local No. Off. Presen. Audience Captured No. Schools /Groups No. Present n Del d. Time To Deliver Present n Total Time (Hrs.) Safe Schools Regional hr School Visits Regional N/A 228 V.I.P. Regional hr. per Session 294 Safety Patrollers Regional hr. per Session 8.5 Kids Safety Regional hr. per Session 150 Village Block Parents Regional hr. per Session 6 Street Proofing Regional hr. per Session 08 C.P.T.E.D. Regional hr. per 1.5 Session Racing Against Regional Pit Stops 4 Days 160 Drugs Neighbourhood Regional hr. per 4 Watch Prgm. Watches Session Women s Safety Regional hr. per 26 Session Senior Safety Regional hr. per Session 2 Robbery Regional hr. per 7 Session Fraud Regional Drug Regional hr. per Session 80 Conflict Regional hr. per Session 16 Resolution Anti-Violence/ Regional hr. per session 82 Bullying Date Rape Regional hr. per Session 2 Home/Business Regional hr. per Session 12 Security Anti-Gang Regional hr. per Session 18 Joint Commun. Regional 3 19 N/A 31 Safety Com t. Groups Race Relations Regional Law Present t Regional hr. per Session 22 Parent Safety Regional Sch. 5 3 hr. per Session 15 Patrol Involved Internet Safety Regional hr. per Session 8 Riskwatch Clarington N/Kn. 17 Police Displays Regional N/A 222 /Infor. Events Venturer Prgm. Regional 2 hr. per Session Jr. Officer Pol. Whitby N/A 87.5 Programs Osh./Clargtn. Hug-A-Tree N/Durham Prep Time for 73 6 N/A 95 Presentations Infor. Displays Regional TOTALS , N/A CRIME STOPPERS PROGRAMS Coordinators AUDIENCE No. Sch. No. Programs School Crime Stoppers Prgm. Regional 08 20, TIPS ARRESTS CHGS SZD. DRUGS SZD. PROP. Regional Crime Stoppers Regional $2,322, $566,

4 * This identifies the initiative as consisting of multiple committees or events as listed on the following page. V.I.P. Workload CPO CPO Officer(s) No. Sch. No. Prgm. No. Classes Clarington P. Hawrychuk Oshawa M. Winn D. Morton Whitby M. Carr Ajax Pickering B. Horodynk D. Omelanchuk North Durham B. Durst JOINT COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMITTEES High School Liaison Committee SCOPA Safe Communities of Pickering Ajax Police/Municipal Council Committee Anti-Vandalism Committee Ajax Ajax Pickering United Way Ajax Pickering Women s Shelter Board of Education, Anti-Racism and Equity Committee Ajax Pickering Race Relations committee Ajax Pickering Safe School Committee Durham Home Builder Association Durham Under Twelve Alzheimer s Committee Rogers Pumpkin Patrol Halloween Oshawa Safety and Security Committee Children s Aide Review Team Durham Region Association of Volunteer Administrators Central Ontario Crime Prevention Association Dennis O Connor Advisory Council Substance Abuse Council for Youth Youth Officers Committee of Ontario Ontario Safety Village Advisory Committee Whitby Race Relations Clarington Youth Advisory Council Bethesda House Youth Justice Steering Committee Bowmanville Rotary Youth Services Committee 4

5 RACE RELATIONS Heritage Day Multi-Cultural Celebration Black/African Heritage Week Harmony Race Relations Oshawa Durham Multicultural Council Ajax Race Relations Committee Pickering Race Relations Committee Progressive Muslims of Ontario S.T.A.R. Student Teachers Against Racism Durham multi-faith, Multi-Cultural Council POLICE DISPLAYS/ INFORMATION EVENTS Community Police Office Community Days Police Week Mall Displays Kids Fingerprinting Career Days Recruiting Displays Kids Village Easter Egg Hunt The following pages provide a brief synopsis of each program delivered by members of our Police Service. SAFE SCHOOLS A cooperative project with the Board s of Education in the Region of Durham to comply with the Safe School s Act. This includes audits, police protocol, development of educational manuals on school safety and presentations. SCHOOL VISITS A Police Service initiative requiring front line officers to regularly visit schools to increase police visibility and establish a rapport with students and staff. 5

6 VALUES, INFLUENCES and PEERS (V.I.P. PROGRAM). A partnership between Police, Durham District School Board, Durham Separate School Board, Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board and the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Separate School Board. The V.I.P. PROGRAM is aimed at Grade 6 students to help them make informed choices related to values and the law and has been in existence for over 10 years. The V.I.P. Program consists of six modules delivered over a nine-week period and concluding with a graduation ceremony that includes family. A new component of V.I.P. beginning in the school calendar will be a comprehensive INTERNET SAFETY component. A much needed program for the times. According to an extensive University of Windsor study completed in 2001, the results showed that compared to non-vip respondents, VIP respondents attitudes toward police were significantly more positive. The V.I.P. program is taught by our officers to approx students in our Region and is a very effective crime prevention tool. SCHOOL SAFETY PATROLLER The school safety patrollers campaign sponsored by the CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION is a program where approximately 2000 students from 80 schools across the region assist their fellow students to travel safely to and from school. This program includes BUS PATROLLERS and SCHOOL YARD PATROL. This venture has been very successful in our region because of the commitment of Constable Dave MORTON, Pat JUDGES and Marten WIND of our Oshawa Community Office who have organized events to reward our patrollers. This recognition is not to minimize the efforts of all the Elementary Liaison Officers who are co-ordinating the School Safety Patrol in their own offices. This program is a combined effort of business, schools and police working together. KIDS SAFETY VILLAGE. A partnership between the Optimist Club of Ajax, the Rotary Club of Oshawa and the Durham Regional Police Service. This safety village is also partnered with 18 other safety villages across the province. The program is a hands-on safety education experience delivered by a Police Officer. The KIDS SAFETY VILLAGE is also a venue for other programs such as HEADS FIRST, BLOCK PARENT and many other one-day events such as PUMPKIN PATROL, and EASTER EGG HUNT. Again this project is a great example of the business community, police service and the public working together to keep our children safer. 6

7 BLOCK PARENT The Block Parent program is a community program assisted by the Durham Regional Police. The program is running in most municipalities and affords an opportunity for our citizens to volunteer their time in keeping our children and adults safer. Police assist the program by screening applicants and keeping this screening current. STREET PROOFING This is an educational and awareness presentation to equip students with the necessary skills to remain safe while at large in the community. The presentations are geared for both elementary and secondary level students. CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN - C.P.T.E.D. A method of using the reduction of opportunities for crime to occur, achieved by employing physical design features in buildings, parks etc. While at the same time encouraging legitimate use of the environment. RACING AGAINST DRUGS This program is a vital part of Substance Council for Youth in Durham Region a committee of concerned partners from Durham Health, Police, Traffic, Children s Aid, School Boards, Probation Services, Pinewood Centre, Eastview Boys and Girls Club, and Addiction and Mental Health. Racing against Drugs is a one-week event where over 24,000 students over the past 5 years from across the Region are presented with anti-drug and healthy alternative messages. It is a high-energy program that originated with the R.C.M.P. who are still a partner in this presentation. The program is taught by police officers from Durham, O.P.P. CN and CP rail, Pinewood members, Boy Scouts of Canada members, and others. This crime prevention program in the Durham Region involving business, police, education and health services again shows the great co-operation needed to keep our youth safer. NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH. The neighbourhood watch program is a community based crime prevention program. It is co-ordinated by Kristina MCCANN and staffed by four part-time volunteers. There are 146 watch programs region wide. Kristina MCCANN attends crime prevention speaking engagements with the main focus being personal and home security. The Neighbourhood Watch program is a fine example of community and police working together to make our region safer. 7

8 WOMEN S SAFETY Educational and awareness programs that include personal safety and self-defence techniques geared towards the female population. SENIOR S SAFETY Educational and awareness programs geared specifically for seniors. These include personal safety, electronic and door-to-door frauds, and internet safety. ROBBERY PREVENTION Speaking engagements to business and industry on best practises to prevent robberies or what to do if robbed. FRAUD PREVENTION Speaking engagements to business, industry and public on how to prevent and detect fraud. Topics include counterfeiting, mail fraud, phone scams, door-to-door sales, and fund raising are some of the issues presented. DRUG AWARENESS Speaking engagements to parent groups, students, business community and other interested parties, on drug use, drug identification and prevention methods. CONFLICT RESOLUTION School based program where educators, police, students and parents meet to resolve problems involving a school related incident where criminal prosecution has been ruled out. ANTI-VIOLENCE/BULLYING Educational and awareness presentations to educators, parents and students dealing with violence and intimidation in the school environment. This also involves the proactive intervention by educators and police concerning identified youths at risk. 8

9 DATE RAPE An educational and awareness presentation geared for students at the elementary, secondary and post secondary levels focused on techniques to reduce the risk of victimization. HOME, BUSINESS SECURITY Presentations to citizens concerning the security of their homes and businesses employing target hardening methods and CPTED philosophies, and may include security audits of residences and businesses. ANTI-GANG Educational and awareness presentations concerning gang activities in schools and the community at large. The focus of these presentations is on gang violence, identification and recruiting techniques. JOINT COMMUNITY SAFETY COMMITTEES Community based committees composed of citizens in the community, special interest groups, Federal, Provincial and Municipal level agencies that in partnership with the Police work towards a safe community. RACE RELATIONS Community based committees comprised of citizens of diverse cultural origins who partner with the Police to work towards safer communities. LAW PRESENTATIONS Presentations to secondary and post secondary students enrolled in law classes concerning Federal, Provincial and Municipal Legislation from a policing perspective. PARENT SAFETY PATROL The Parent Safety Patrol program is a community-based initiative that targets safety problems and concerns at Durham Region Schools. The councils work with this police service to promote a safe environment to ensure the safety of our children. There are currently over 42 Parent Safety Patrol programs operating in the various municipalities. INTERNET SAFETY Presentations to students, parent groups and businesses on guidelines for the safe use of the Internet. 9

10 RISK WATCH A combined presentation by local fire departments and police to educate and prevent arson related offences. POLICE DISPLAYS, INFORMATION Presentations and information displays at public malls, schools, businesses, fairs, CPO community days etc, during police week, crime prevention week, theme of the month and other community events. VENTURER PROGRAM This program is currently active in the communities of North Durham and Whitby. Police Service members participate directly in the program that is an extension of the Scout Program that provides older youth with life skills training. Youth involved in the Venturer Program regularly assist the Police at large public events. JUNIOR POLICE OFFICER PROGRAMS Currently two programs are active in the Region of Durham. Whitby has the Junior Police Officer Program and Oshawa/Clarington has the Kids and Cops program. Both provide training and presentations concerning the law, ethics, community responsibility, self-worth and some insight into policing. HUG-A-TREE This is a RCMP program that originated in rural western Canada that educates young students on what to do when lost in a rural setting. This program is currently only delivered in North Durham. This QUARTERLY CRIME PREVENTION report is submitted to inform the Police Services Board and Police Service of the numerous crime prevention activities of our members. Respectfully Submitted: Sergeant Henry J. OTTER Crime Prevention Co-ordinator 10