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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-02-21 Minutes CLARINGTON SAFE COMMUNITIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE February 21, 2013, 3:00 P.M. MEETING ROOM 1A Present: Mayor Foster Len Creamer, Manager of Municipal Law Enforcement Rolf Kluem, Durham Regional Police Services Maria Perrino, John Howard Society Chris Newman, Firehouse Youth Centre Sheryl Greenham, Executive Assistant to Erin O'Toole, M.P. Sean Fitzgerald, Durham Regional Police Services P.C. Martin Wind, Durham Regional Police Services Also Present: June Gallagher, Committee Co-ordinator Mayor Foster chaired the meeting. 1. MINUTES The minutes of the meeting held on January 24, 2013 were received without comment. 2. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR This matter was deferred to the next meeting. 3. NEW BUSINESS (a) Terms of Reference The Committee briefly discussed the terms of reference. It was decided to change membership list to remove specific names (leaving titles only). In addition, it was decided that quorum details will be discussed at the next meeting, as part of a larger review of the terms of reference. (b) Durham Regional Police (DRP) Trending Reports Thefts from Vehicles Rolf Kluem advised that reports are generated, analyzed and distributed bi-weekly within the DRP. He noted that "theft from vehicle" crime affects approximately 10-20 persons per month. Inspector Kluem noted that there was a spike in thefts from vehicles in January, probably attributed to the good weather in January. He listed the geographic areas of concern for property thefts. Inspector Kluem shared a map with the Committee, indicating the areas of greater thefts. He noted that Clarington is a safe community, but he wanted to bring attention to this type of crime noted. Clarington Safe - 2 - February 21, 2013 Communities Committee Maria Perrino asked whether there was a campaign regarding "not keeping valuables in vehicles". Inspector Kluem responded that he had authored an article speaking to the issue, which is available on the DRP website. He added that incidents are reduced when patrols are increased, but noted that this is not the permanent answer. Inspector Kluem informed the Committee that communications to parents regarding watching for signs of thefts among youth has also reduced thefts in the past. Sean Fitzgerald informed the Committee that University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) students had performed research on theft of motor vehicles in conjunction with the youths from the Firehouse Youth Centre. He noted that the report is available from the DRP. Mr. Fitzgerald noted that vehicles left on roadways were targeted twice as much as those in driveways. P.C. Wind added that signs indicating "lock your doors" act as effective reminders to help reduce thefts. He noted that partnerships with the Business Improvement Associations (BIAs) and the Clarington Board of Trade (CBOT) are currently underway to encourage reporting crimes. Mayor Foster suggested that he would post the map to Facebook showing areas of high theft from crime. Graffiti Inspector Kluem informed the Committee that he had asked the DRP crime analysts to prepare an analysis, from 2007 to 2103, of reported graffiti or tagging incidents. He noted that: • There are approximately 1-4 incidents reported per month, over a five year period. • Most incidents spike from the end of July to the middle of October, with the largest spike around August 10tH • Most occur on Friday nights. • 49% occur in Bowmanville, with the next largest number occurring in Courtice. • Graffiti incidents tend to cluster around schools. He listed the geographic areas, illustrated on a map, which are affected. Inspector Kluem concluded that this information provides opportunities to provide community messaging or program initiatives with students. He added that a combined approach tends to be the most successful for a long term solution. P.C. Wind noted that it is important to get the message out regarding the process for reporting these types of crimes. He added that community support is the key. Clarington Safe - 3 - February 21, 2013 Communities Committee Mayor Foster stated that there tends to be a decrease in graffiti if it is cleaned up quickly. Mayor Foster asked the DRP to forward graffiti communications for him to post on Facebook. P.C. Wind informed the Committee that he is currently working with Jennifer Cooke and Skip Crosby to use the municipal message boards to communicate the issues. Mayor Foster asked whether Canada Post, Bell Canada, Veridian, Hydro One, Metroland, Rogers, etc. had been contacted to clean up their equipment when it has been tagged. P.C. Wind added the difficulty is to ensure that the contact numbers are known for the responsible employee in the organization. Inspector Kluem noted that the larger organizations, such as Canada Post, tend to have too much bureaucracy to act quickly to clean up the equipment. There was a general discussion about how to approach the stakeholders to clean up the equipment. Inspector Kluem informed the Committee that Brighton is currently putting forward a by-law to prohibit minors from purchasing spray paint, but he noted that this approach can result in more problems and not solve the initial graffiti issue. Sheryl Greenham offered that she will contact Canada Post to determine who the contact person might be for cleanup of Canada Post equipment within Clarington. (c) Themes to be Addressed "Getting the Message Out" P.C. Wind stated that "eyes on the street" can be the most effective. Rolf Kluem agreed that "the people are the police, and the police are the people", and therefore citizens should be reminded of their role in crime prevention. He noted that the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) message in 2013 is "crime prevention....it starts with you". The Committee agreed that there is also a message that "the vast majority of kids are good kids" which needs to be communicated. Achievables Inspector Kluem informed the Committee that the Oshawa Safe Community Committee took the approach of a "town hall meeting" with a focus on each member's priority, to brainstorm for solutions within a year. This could be a way of promoting Clarington as a safe and vibrant community. Clarington Safe - 4 - February 21, 2013 Communities Committee Accountability Maria Perrino stated that her suggestion for a theme would be "making citizens more accountable for prevention". Geographic Areas Sean Fitzgerald suggested that the themes could be targeted to specific geographic areas in order to be achievable and measurable. Building Community Chris Newman agreed with Len Creamer's suggestion that there is a need to rebuild community spirit. Summary Mayor Foster agreed that the maps presented today could be used to target the messages. He suggested that a strategy be developed at the next meeting. Sheryl Greenham agreed to this approach and suggested that the message change by the month or the season. P.C. Wind noted that a "trade fair "approach can be successful to bring people together, and provide "face time" and contact information. Maria Perrino suggested that this message could be communicated during community festivals. Inspector Kluem urged the Committee to keep the messages simple and specific. 5. DATE OF NEXT MEETING The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled to be held on Thursday, March 21, 2013, commencing at 3:00 p.m. in Committee Room 1A. For this meeting, Committee members are asked to: • indicate, ahead of the meeting, whether you are interested in putting your name forward for Chair or Vice-Chair; • be prepared to elect a chair and vice-chair; • be prepared to approve the terms of reference (including a clarification on the question of quorum); • bring existing communications/documents to develop a communications strategy; and • provide specific agenda items for the next meeting.