Hello McCauley. There is lots of good stuff happening at the crime council. Our mapping project is steaming along, with our researcher Brenda St. Germain doing some interviews and focus groups this month. A priority for us is setting up conversations with those voices that are not often heard. We are gathering information to increase our understanding of the dynamics surrounding crime and safety in our neighbourhood. The next six months will be pretty exciting for us as we process the data we gather.

Here are two things we are focusing on in our mapping project:

1.  Where are the hot spots in our neighbourhood as far as crime and safety, and what can be done to address the concerns in those places?

2.  How do the different people groups in our neighbourhood experience each other? Are there decent and respectful working relationships in place between police, residents, agencies, businesses, the immigrant community, and the street population? If there are matters of concern, how can they be resolved?

At our last Crime Council meeting, we spent some time discussing best practices, restorative practices, and how these might change how we do some of our service work for people in need. We also continue to listen for alternative working models to the current centralized service-based models which can have the (usually negative) effect of concentrating poverty in a neighbourhood. 

We aim to be practical, grounded, and connected in the work that we do. And so, we value your input. Currently, we are looking for more representation from residents, agencies, and businesses. Ordinarily, we meet the third Monday of every month from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. If you are interested in joining our conversation or would like to bring something to our attention, please email me at mvanboom@hotmail.com with the subject “Crime Council.”

Mike Van Boom is the Chair of the United McCauley Crime Council.