There is far more to building and sustaining a safe community than hiring and equipping police officers.
But it takes initiative, cohesion and — surprise — investment to get it done.
This week, Red Deer city council endorsed the final draft of its Strategic Direction. The document has six focus points:
• identifying and promoting Red Deer’s identity;
• shifting primary economic development focus and activity to within Red Deer;
• engaging the community and enhancing relationships;
• designing for and facilitating integrated movement;
• designing and planning a community reflecting desired character and values;
• enhancing and promoting a safe community.
The final two items are all about creating an environment where we can safely and comfortably live, raise our children and pursue our personal goals. We need a city where we are not only safe, but we feel safe and protected.
That means not being constrained, or victimized, by crime — nor being deterred from our goals because we may lack the shared social agenda and commitment to build a peaceful community.
City Councillor Buck Buchanan believes we are more likely to reach those goals with the help of a one-stop crime prevention centre.
He proposes a storefront office with shared resources that would house such organizations as Neighbourhood Watch, Crime Stoppers, Citizens on Patrol and Mothers Against Drug Driving.
All of those organizations depend on support from the public and the corporate world to survive.
And all of those organizations succeed only if they touch the public on a regular basis. Their resources can be of significant help in reducing crime and criminal behaviour.
But if these and other similar organizations are forced to spend an inordinate amount of hard-won funding on infrastructure rather than providing service and reaching the community, then it is time to find a better model.
“A lot of your programs are busily selling chocolate bars to pay their rent,” Buchanan said this week. He is both the chairman of the Crime Stoppers committee and a former city RCMP officer who was involved in community policing, so he understands the landscape.
The chairman of the civilian watch group Citizens on Patrol, Troy Ropchan, endorses Buchanan’s proposal.
Of course, any move by the city to establish a collective office must come with expectations. Organizations should be required to have the resources to go into schools. They should establish regular community meetings and training sessions, as needed. They must have measurable goals, at least for connecting with the public, particularly youth groups. They must adhere to a shared budget. And they must be willing to regularly report to city administration on their progress and projects.
The logistics of such a proposal would not be simple. Getting multiple groups to work together, even if the goals are shared, can be difficult.
But the payback would be significant. These groups exist to help prevent crime, to help encourage good behaviour in the general population, and to teach us all to watch out for one another.
In short, these groups exist to enhance and promote a safe community — and that should be high on the priority list for council and citizens.
John Stewart is the Advocate’s managing editor.