I wanted to blog immediately after I saw the report written by former Chief Justice Roy McMurtry and Alvin Curling, The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence . I opted instead to wait to review the public and media reaction. I also had the opportunity to speak with Chief Justice McMurtry, in the course of his research. For those of us who are familiar with the issues highlighted in the report, it came as no surprise that the report’s conclusions provoked both highly positive and some negative media and public reaction.
The one thing that has been underlined in both the report and in the subsequent media reaction is the need for coordination among all stakeholders, opinion leaders, research leaders, public agencies, community agencies and other concerned parties.
The Toronto Police Services Board has long talked about the importance of coordination in dealing with youth violence. Mayor David Miller, who is a member of the Toronto Police Services Board, echoed the Board’s view in his remarks quoted in the Report’s new release: “This report underlines the critical importance of governments building meaningful partnerships with business, labour and educational institutions to address the needs of thousands of youth from our most vulnerable communities. By providing them with the right environment with access to recreation, education, and proper training, these young people will have a real chance to live productive lives free from violence”.
At a time when the state of the economy weighs heavily on everyone's mind and there is a reluctance to commit new funds to initiatives, coordination is a smart tactic. I believe that there are many resources available from government and, public institutions as well as from the community. What we need and what the report stresses is a well thought out plan to coordinate these resources into a more efficient and effective overall strategy.
Our Board will watch the fate of this report and how it is received by the provincial government with great interest.
