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.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
CRIME PREVENTION WEEK 2008
This morning I helped kick off Crime Prevention Week 2008 at Toronto Police Headquarters.
Here are my remarks……..
On behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board, I want to welcome all of you to Toronto Police Headquarters as we kick off Crime Prevention Week 2008.
This year’s theme is: “Invest in Your Future: Prevent Crime” and I can think of no theme more relevant or more fundamental for us today. Our Board shares the general consensus that prevention of crime is no less important than vigorously responding to crime when it occurs. We further believe that a critical component of prevention is meaningful investment in our young people, who represent the future.
This year, the Crime Prevention Week is taking place at a time when there is, once again, heightened concern and considerable discussion about violent crime in our community. Members of the public are perturbed by the incidence of violence in our midst, such as the killing of innocent bystanders and the attacks on school premises involving young people.
It is understandable that in this context, our attention should be focused on the additional measures that may be required and the efficacy of the tools that are available to deal with these threats to public safety.
Yet, this is also the time when we need to pay equal – if not greater – attention to crime prevention. And that involves a commitment to doing everything we can to deter our future generation, namely young people, from straying into the path of violence.
Investment in young people must be a societal priority. No one institution or agency can assume that responsibility. Nor can any institution or agency avoid taking responsibility. This must be our collective priority. In this regard, our look forward to a broad debate around, and full implementation of, the McMurtry-Curling report on “The Roots of Violence.”
For our part, the Toronto Police Services Board is very much committed to investing in, and supporting, young people through a variety of programs and initiatives. We have established an Advisory Panel on Community Safety to advise the Board on issues that it should act on or advocate for to address gun violence among youth.
The Board was also an original proponent, and remains a key supporter of, the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI). This summer youth employment program is a joint initiative of the Board and the Toronto Police Service. Funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, it has, in each of the last three years, provided well-paying and meaningful summer jobs for 100 youth from our at-risk neighbourhoods.
The Board also supports youth through its funding activities. In 2005, the Board decided to set aside a minimum of $100,000 from its Special Fund to support initiatives focussed on families, children and youth. Through this program, the Board has funded a good number of unique, progressive and powerful projects.
As well, the Board is proud to support the tremendous work that the Toronto Police Service is doing in this area, including innovative programs that are part of a larger anti-violence strategy. One shining example of this is the “Empowered Student Partnerships” program in so many of our high schools.
This unique student-led program encourages youth to plan, organize and execute anti-violence and problem-solving initiatives in their schools, in partnership with the Toronto Police Service, the school boards, the City and local community organizations.
The Toronto Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Service are working diligently in partnership with our many community partners to support our young people, and to ensure that our communities are safe and healthy for everyone. As we embark upon this year’s Crime Prevention Week, I invite every institution and all levels of government to take stock of their investments in our collective future so that, together, we can enable our young people to aspire to a life of hope rather than of crime and violence.
Here are my remarks……..
On behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board, I want to welcome all of you to Toronto Police Headquarters as we kick off Crime Prevention Week 2008.
This year’s theme is: “Invest in Your Future: Prevent Crime” and I can think of no theme more relevant or more fundamental for us today. Our Board shares the general consensus that prevention of crime is no less important than vigorously responding to crime when it occurs. We further believe that a critical component of prevention is meaningful investment in our young people, who represent the future.
This year, the Crime Prevention Week is taking place at a time when there is, once again, heightened concern and considerable discussion about violent crime in our community. Members of the public are perturbed by the incidence of violence in our midst, such as the killing of innocent bystanders and the attacks on school premises involving young people.
It is understandable that in this context, our attention should be focused on the additional measures that may be required and the efficacy of the tools that are available to deal with these threats to public safety.
Yet, this is also the time when we need to pay equal – if not greater – attention to crime prevention. And that involves a commitment to doing everything we can to deter our future generation, namely young people, from straying into the path of violence.
Investment in young people must be a societal priority. No one institution or agency can assume that responsibility. Nor can any institution or agency avoid taking responsibility. This must be our collective priority. In this regard, our look forward to a broad debate around, and full implementation of, the McMurtry-Curling report on “The Roots of Violence.”
For our part, the Toronto Police Services Board is very much committed to investing in, and supporting, young people through a variety of programs and initiatives. We have established an Advisory Panel on Community Safety to advise the Board on issues that it should act on or advocate for to address gun violence among youth.
The Board was also an original proponent, and remains a key supporter of, the Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI). This summer youth employment program is a joint initiative of the Board and the Toronto Police Service. Funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, it has, in each of the last three years, provided well-paying and meaningful summer jobs for 100 youth from our at-risk neighbourhoods.
The Board also supports youth through its funding activities. In 2005, the Board decided to set aside a minimum of $100,000 from its Special Fund to support initiatives focussed on families, children and youth. Through this program, the Board has funded a good number of unique, progressive and powerful projects.
As well, the Board is proud to support the tremendous work that the Toronto Police Service is doing in this area, including innovative programs that are part of a larger anti-violence strategy. One shining example of this is the “Empowered Student Partnerships” program in so many of our high schools.
This unique student-led program encourages youth to plan, organize and execute anti-violence and problem-solving initiatives in their schools, in partnership with the Toronto Police Service, the school boards, the City and local community organizations.
The Toronto Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Service are working diligently in partnership with our many community partners to support our young people, and to ensure that our communities are safe and healthy for everyone. As we embark upon this year’s Crime Prevention Week, I invite every institution and all levels of government to take stock of their investments in our collective future so that, together, we can enable our young people to aspire to a life of hope rather than of crime and violence.
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