Smart on Crime Blog

Best of the blog: Our top 13 of 2013

Posted on: December 31st, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

I just love this time of January when you get to take a look back at what’s been accomplished over the past year, ponder what worked well and scratch your head about what emerged that you never expected.

As we turn the page into 2014, I also love the tradition of digging into our blog to find what you, the readers, found most interesting over the last year. With over 45 blog posts in 2013, there was certainly something for everyone. We had 23 different guest bloggers contribute community responses on the root causes of crime as part of the Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region. You can find all the posts and community responses in one tidy corner of the blog.

But, our readers are diverse which indicates why our most popular blogs on Smart on Crime ranged from book reviews to casinos and from guest commentary to provincial budget analysis. Here’s the round up of our top 13 posts from 2013.

1. The local impact of youth unemployment/underemploymentguest post by Carol Simpson

“If youth in the labour market cannot find employment, they find it increasingly difficult to become established in the “adult” world.  They have done nothing wrong. They have done what they were told to do and were supposed to do yet cannot find that suitable connection to the workforce. This impacts their confidence and their ability to “fit in”. Many have chosen to give up and have simply walked away from the labour market making it even harder to find their “place” in the world. This results in frustration and anger and they feel neglected.”

2. What we’re reading: Rescuing Policyby Anthony Piscitelli

“How can government solve the complex issues facing society?”

3. Children in care in Waterloo Region: Compounding risk for vulnerable children by Jill Stoddart

“Children living in the care of the child welfare system have a higher likelihood of justice system involvement in comparison to children living with their biological parents”.

4. Excuse me Waterloo Region, your homelessness is showingby Lynn Macaulay

“I feel part of a sector where I join in solidarity with people experiencing homelessness and many community members who together stand up to say – people who are homeless matter.  We collectively are committed to ending homelessness in Waterloo Region. This is a lofty goal, which will take much persistence and hard work, but with the determination and skills of this community, I believe it is possible.”

5. Income of low income families: Root cause of crime in Waterloo Regionby Anthony Piscitelli

Neighbourhoods that are at an economic disadvantage when compared to other areas report higher crime rates. In addition, societies where wealth is concentrated amongst a small group of individuals report higher crime rates.

6. Through the eyes of crime prevention: Ontario 2013 Budget – prepared by Alexadra Kraushaar

Image: A Prosperous & Fair Ontario

7. The day I went to prisonby Andrew Jackson

“Five minutes later I stood at the front of a classroom with 25 women waiting for me to start talking. “Good morning” I said. “Good morning.” came the reply from the women of Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI).”

8. Knowing other people care: The importance of community to women who have experienced homelessnessby Elizabeth Clarke

“It goes almost without saying that the overarching cause of homelessness is poverty, but not all people who are poor become homeless. Not all people who become homeless stay that way for long.”

9. Waterloo Region’s Catholic Schools: Laying a solid foundation for student successby David DeSantis

“It is no surprise that the length of involvement in schooling significantly impacts participation in criminal activity and the probability of incarceration, as found in Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region. In fact, this has been well-known in the education sector for many years – which explains the great lengths to which school boards go in mitigating against this problem.”

10. 7 things we learned from Alan Quarry about social media for social change by Juanita Metzger

“Creating change that lasts happens in relationships, from one person to another, and these days, often facilitated with the power of social media. Here are Alan’s 7 best thoughts on the principles for engaging people in change.”

11. A Snapshot in Time: The Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region by Anthony Piscitelli 

“The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council believes monitoring the root causes of crime can aid the community in addressing crime, victimization and fear of crime through awareness, discussion, leadership and action. Once the root causes are understood more clearly, resources can be applied to areas where the community is doing poorly. A Snapshot in Time: The Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region identifies the root causes of crime right here in Waterloo Region and provides a tool to aid local policy makers in targeting interventions to where they are most needed and where they can have the greatest impact.”

12. Poverty in Waterloo Region… Is that REALLY OK with you? by Mary MacKeigan

“The data in the section of Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region titled Income of Low Income Families is no surprise to those of us who are familiar with poverty-related issues in our regional community. In fact, in Waterloo Region, 36 earners make more than $2.57M; 360 make more than $685K; 3,610 (the top 1%) make more than $396K. Individuals who make more than $81,200 are in the top 10%. On the other hand, the median income of the bottom 50% is $14,100!* In 2007, one third of employed individuals were earning $14.00/hour or less. This is poor – it may not be deep (or absolute) poverty, but it is precariously close to it. “

13. What are the odds? The vulnerable child of today as the problem gambler of tomorrow by Chris Sadeler

“The official position statement of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council given at a public consultation on the question of a casino in  the City of Kitchener. The remarks were given by WRCPC Executive Director, Christiane Sadeler on behalf of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.”

So many great reads from 2013. But if you’re in the mood for something to watch, rather than read, might I suggest our personal favourite, “Won’t you be my neighbour?” Who can resist Anthony Piscitelli’s homage to Mr. Rogers!

We look forward to bringing more great smart on crime blogs for you to ponder. Better yet, we love hearing your comments, reactions and responses to the posts and guest commentaries. We look forward to hearing more from you in 2014!

The day I went to prison…..

Posted on: October 16th, 2013 by Smart on Crime

I stood at the gate in the large fence waiting for someone to notice me. “How can I help you?” came the voice over the intercom. “My name is Andrew Jackson. I’m from the Accelerator Centre and I’m here to run the Entrepreneur Session.” I replied. The gate buzzed and I walked through the gate, went up the path and entered the building. I handed over my identification, signed in and then passed through a metal detector. Five minutes later I stood at the front of a classroom with 25 women waiting for me to start talking. “Good morning” I said. “Good morning.” came the reply from the women of Grand Valley Institution for Women (GVI).

This past Saturday was the third year I have gone to Grand Valley Institution as a representative of the Accelerator Centre in order to deliver four 2-hour sessions over two weekends to the women. It has quickly become a highlight of the year for me and the numerous volunteers that help teach the course.

The Accelerator Centre is a business incubator for tech companies where we are paid to provide facilities and programming in order to help start-up companies speed up the process of becoming large, sustainable, revenue generating entities. So the inevitable question is “Why do you go to Grand Valley?” The short answer is: “because the women let us.”

Three years ago Jessica Hutchison, a hard-working and passionate person from the Region of Waterloo, approached the Accelerator Centre to see if we would be interested in presenting an entrepreneurial course to the women at GVI. After some internal discussions we agreed we would do it.

Our first chore was to figure out what the content of the sessions would be. We have done presentations numerous times before on why people should become entrepreneurs and the skills and knowledge they need to do so. It was very important to us that we didn’t simplify our sessions for the women but instead we tailored the information to make it appropriate for women who would be looking to form their own company when they left GVI or would be looking to set themselves up for employment after some tough times.

The next thing to do was figure out who would come with us to present the material. Again, it was important to us to bring the same top-notch, experienced people that we would use for any of our presentations. We are very lucky to have CEOs and upper management level people volunteer their weekend time and join us at Grand Valley. As I tell the women, we bring the best available people because we believe they deserve the best available people.

The first year we attended GVI we had 12 women attend the course. The last two years we have had 24 and 25 women, respectively, attend. The women are respectful and polite and ready to learn. None of them have to be there but they choose to be and that means a lot to us.

It is our hope that we are providing the women of Grand Valley Institution with some knowledge that will empower them upon their release. We know that they are in GVI for a variety of reasons and the courts have decided they warranted some form of punishment. But we also know that when they are released from prison they deserve every opportunity to reintegrate into their communities in a positive way. I look forward to the day that I can enter a business that is owned by one of the women that attended our Entrepreneur Sessions.

What impact has this experience had on me personally? Well, this past Friday I had the opportunity to talk to the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council about our involvement with the Grand Valley Institution. I am proud to let everybody know about the awesome feeling I get when I see the smiling faces on the women as we shake their hands and give them a certificate of completion for our course.

I had to stop talking three times to choke back my tears. But please keep that part quiet.

Photo: Andrew Jackson presenting to the Friends of Crime PreventionSharing the story of the Accelerator Centre with 50 Friends of Crime Prevention  


Author: As Vice President, Client Services, Andrew Jackson leads the educational curriculum for Clients at the Accelerator Centre. In addition, Andrew manages the celebrated in-house mentorship program, an essential component of the Accelerator Program. As clients seek to grow their business knowledge and develop essential skills, Andrew connects them with the resources necessary for their business to achieve long term success.

 

Won’t You Be My Neighbour?

Posted on: September 4th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Crime prevention, social capital, neighbourhood cohesion… all the stuff of Jane Jacobs and Mr. Rogers! In this latest episode of “By The Numbers” Anthony Piscitelli pays homage to a certain friendly neighbour in order to give you the highlights of a recent report from the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.

You can find the full report here.

What do you think…. does your neighbourhood have a high level of social capital? Or do you live in a neighbourhood that has a high fear of crime? What does your neighbourhood do to build community and social capital?

I’d love to hear your stories!

The Responsibility of Our Voice

Posted on: June 18th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

This blog is the second guest post about Male Allies Against Sexual Violence (MAASV) in Waterloo Region. You can read the first post from Joan Tuchlinsky here.


Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean being at the front of a rally with a megaphone. There are many components to leadership. It’s important, especially for the guys reading this, to remember that we are all leaders, whether to our brothers and sisters, our partners, our friends, or to our sons and daughters.

The sexism, misogyny, transphobia and homophobia found in the media and in our everyday interactions can be overwhelming and confronting these issues can make us feel vulnerable or powerless. At the same time, many men (and women) do not know how to confront these issues in their own lives. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of us remain silent. However, when we remain silent about violence against women we are perpetuating a rape culture – whether we intend to or not.

What does rape culture mean?

Rape culture is a term used to describe a society wherein sexual violence is normalized through behaviours, attitudes and practices that tolerate rape. Okay… what does that mean? Rape is not the only action that perpetuates rape. How we act and what we say go a long way in telling those around us what is acceptable. For example, if we laugh or remain silent when a rape joke is told by one of our co-workers while we are not condoning the behaviour described in the joke – we are allowing the attitude expressed by the person who told the joke to remain unchallenged and spread.

While sexist and misogynistic attitudes may not physically harm women we know that language structures our thoughts and behaviours. The more prevalent these attitudes become, the more they are internalized by men and used as justification for their treatment of women. Admittedly, the intent of jokes that dehumanize women is generally not to encourage men to physically harm women. However, the impact of rape jokes is the creation of a rape culture that tells the men listening that their behaviours and attitudes towards women are acceptable.

Here is a link to an exercise called the Continuum of Harm, which is a great tool to help people understand both the intent and impact of our actions.

For more information on rape culture, check out this great article by Phaedra Starling.

To disrupt our rape culture, men must recognize their responsibility to address violence against women. While women have had to fight for a platform to speak, men were born with one. It is time that men began to use their voice for good, as although the majority of men are not violent — some men are. According to Statistics Canada, men are responsible for 83% of police-reported violence committed against women and 98% of intimate partner violence.

Undoubtedly, this is a societal issue — but it also needs to be addressed individually. I want to encourage men to become accountable in their own lives and understand that they can make a difference simply by working to be the best version of themselves that they can be. One way we can do this is by leading with lollipops:

To end, I would like to say that while men need to become more active, we must continue to be accountable to women and women’s organizations such as the Sexual Assault Support Centre Waterloo Region (sascwr.org) who have been doing this work for decades and who make the work we do possible. Men who become involved in ending violence against women are often romanticized while the work of women goes ignored or unnoticed. As such, it is important to remember that while the dominant construction of masculinity may not work for all men – patriarchy does.

In solidarity,
Stephen Soucie, MAASV Facilitator
Twitter: @Maleallies
Email: info@maleallies.org
Website: www.maleallies.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maleallies


Author: Stephen Soucie is a MAASV Public Education Facilitator for the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region. Currently, he is a Masters student in the Critical Sociology program at Brock University. His research areas include: violence against women, men and masculinities, masculinity and sport, and engaging men in anti-violence activism.

 

Through the eyes of Crime Prevention: Ontario 2013 Budget

Posted on: June 12th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

The 2013 Ontario Budget was passed in the Ontario legislature on Tuesday June 11, 2013. The Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council always looks to the budget through the ‘smart on crime’ lens of crime prevention. The 2013 budget presents some interesting spending and ‘non-spending’ as it relates to crime prevention. We look for information with an eye for the root causes of crime which are economic factors, social environment and family structures. The economic factors we look for include poverty, employment & educational opportunities, and housing. The social environment relates to social inequalities, support to families and neighbourhoods, accessibility to services, and children & youth well-being. The family structures may include parenting challenges & conflict, parental, spousal or children criminality, lack of communication, respect and responsibility, abuse or neglect of children, and family violence.

Image: A Prosperous & Fair OntarioWe have reviewed the budget and analyzed where it will directly or indirectly affect crime prevention through the root causes of crime. Here are few key highlights supporting crime prevention:

 Health: Health is an important category to crime prevention because it targets the social environment which individuals live and supports family structures.
  • Funding growing to $93 million per year by 2013-24 for the Comprehensive Mental Health and Addiction Strategy which focuses on
    • Early intervention, community-based counseling, employment training, supportive housing, prevention of and treatment for substance abuse and problem gambling
  • Developing a narcotics monitoring system to reduce the abuse of prescription narcotics and controlled substance medication
  • Creating 23 health care links across the province to encourage greater collaboration and coordination by a patient’s different health care providers

Education: Education is an all around important part of crime prevention. It supports better economic factors, by increasing an individual’s chance for employment and health. It also provides a better social environment and leads to stronger family structures.

  • Government will work with the education sector to broaden measure of success to include higher-order skills such as:
    • Character, citizenship, communication, collaboration and teamwork, critical-thinking and problem-solving, creativity and innovation, entrepreneurialism, connection to postsecondary education and careers
  • $12.6 million over 3 years for the expansion of summer learning programs

Employment: Employment is very important for improving economic factors; it leads to a positive social environment and better family structures.

  • $195 million over 2 years for the Ontario Youth Employment Fund
    • Employment opportunities for 25,000 youth in Ontario
  • $200 from the first employment earnings can now be saved by recipients of Ontario Works and ODSP

Poverty: Poverty is directly linked to economic factors that may cause crime. Addressing poverty help to reduce economic factors that may lead to crime and improve the social environment in which people live.

  • Reduce child poverty by %25 by continuing the 5-year Poverty Reduction Strategy, which includes:
    • Ontario Child Benefit, full-day kindergarten, tax relief
  • 5-year extension of the Investment in Affordable Housing program announced in the 2013 federal budget, this should provide funding for:
    • Construction & renovation of affordable housing units, home ownership assistance, rent supplements, shelter allowances, renovation & repair of accommodation for victims of family violence

Aboriginal Peoples: Aboriginal Peoples are a large part of our population and are an important factor in preventing crime. Support and improvements to Aboriginal Peoples directly affects all the root causes of crime – economic factors, social environment and family structures.

  • $5 million per year to improve student achievement and explore strategies for successful transition from on-reserve schools to provincially funded schools
  • Develop a multi-year Aboriginal Children and Youth Strategy, which will focus on:
    • Building community driven, integrated and culturally appropriate supports to help Aboriginal children and young people group up healthy and reach their full potential
  • $4 million for 40 front-line positions for First Nation police services

Policing and Crime Prevention: policing and crime prevention are key ways to prevent crime directly. Funding and support are essential in order to create a social environment in which people feel safe and productive, improving economic factors and creating positive family structures.

  • $12.5 million annually for Provincial Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy and the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy which focus on:
    • Intervention, prevention, enforcement, and community mobilization strategies such as dedicated neighbourhood police officers
    • Currently 17 police services participate in PAVIS
  • $30 million over 3 years to Legal Aid Ontario, strengthening the capacity of Family Law Service Centres and other community legal clinics across Ontario

Children and Youth: Children and youth are the future of society and are directly related to crime prevention. In order to improve the future economic factors, social environments and family structures we need to work directly with the children and youth within our society.

  • Ontario Early Year Policy Framework – implement full-day kindergarten and support child care system
  • Youth Action Plan (& Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities) – increase the number of Youth Outreach Workers

Areas the budget is not supporting crime prevention:

  • NO mention of C-10 – this is important for crime prevention as it has direct impacts economic factors, for example personal taxes and employment insurance. The fact that the budget did not mention this is concerning to crime prevention as it will continue to be part of federal legislation.
  • NO mention of Ontario Crime Prevention Framework – the Ontario Crime Prevention Framework: A Framework for Action is a booklet intended to:
    • raise awareness and generate a dialogue on crime prevention in Ontario;
    • highlight the opportunities to move forward;
    • set the stage for the development of further crime prevention work with will build and enhance crime prevention partnerships, encourage the development of coordinated, multi-sectorial responses and promote community leadership and participation in crime prevention.

The fact that the budget does not mention this is noteworthy for future crime prevention as we intend to and assume the province intends to participate and follow the Ontario Crime Prevention Framework.

  • NO mention of how Ontario will pay for prisons – the document “Funding Requirement and Impact of the ‘Truth in Sentencing Act’” prepared by Rajakar A., and Mathilakath, R. states, “[…] the cost of new construction stemming from “Truth in Sentencing Act” will be borne in the proportion of approximately 21% to 22% by the federal GC, and 78% to 79% by the provincial governments.” The fact that our provincial budget does not discuss the costs or spending related to prison construction is noteworthy for future crime prevention. It is important to understand how the province is planning to fund the construction of new prisons and support the social environment and economic factors directly related to this.
  • ONLY 60% of Drummond report recommendations being implemented – The Drummond report, “‘The Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services’” was established in 2011 to provide advice to the government on how to deliver the most effective and efficient public services possible[…]” (from 2013 Ontario Budget, page 111). This is important for crime prevention because it is directly related to the root causes of crime and crime prevention.
When reviewing the budget it is important to note all the areas it will support crime prevention and the areas that are lacking in support of crime prevention. The lens of crime prevention allows us to view the budget critically to assess how and where it will directly and indirectly affect the work we are currently doing and the work we plan to do in the future to address the root causes of crime.

Author: Alexandra Kraushaar
Placement Student, Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, is currently at University of Waterloo working towards an Honours degree in Knowledge Integration with Minors in International Development and Economics. Summer Placement Student at the Crime Prevention Council to gain valuable experience in community and social development. When I am not at school or at my placement, I can be found in St. Clements riding my horse. I am a passionate equestrian enthusiast, competing in Dressage throughout Canada and the US.

Stand up. Speak out.

Posted on: May 22nd, 2013 by Smart on Crime
Male Allies Stand Up. Speak Out. Campaign Poster
Stand up. Speak out. This is the tagline for the Male Allies Against Sexual Violence (MAASV) program. MAASV is a public education program of the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC).

Stand Up. Speak out. is the invitation MAASV extends to men and male youth to be part of the work of ending gendered violence in Waterloo Region. One in five men (21%) reported that they did not actively support community efforts to stop violence against women because no one had asked them to get involved.

Well, we’re asking!
A gendered analysis of sexual violence recognizes that women and children make up the majority of those who experience sexual assault and men make up the majority (98%) of offenders (Statistics Canada, 2003). Given the high percentage of male perpetrators, the significant percentage of boys who experience sexual abuse and the men whose lives are impacted when someone close to them experiences sexual violence, this is clearly a men’s issue too.
MAASV provides training and resources for parents, teachers, coaches and social service providers or will facilitate workshops with youth. Topics include: healthy masculinity, healthy relationships, respect, diversity and more.
Check out Jackson Katz – educator, author and filmmaker – internationally recognized for his ground-breaking work in the field of gender violence prevention education with men and boys. Katz speaks about men’s involvement in ending gendered violence.

In two upcoming guest blog posts you will hear from some of our male allies about their experiences and the strategies and tools they have learned and use in their lives.


Author:  Joan Tuchlinsky is the Public Education Manager at the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region and coordinates the MAASV program. She is inspired by her five children and three grandchildren to work with others to create a safer and more equitable world.

 

What Will Convince Red Shirt to Leave His Gang?

Posted on: March 21st, 2013 by Smart on Crime

My recent trip to Canada held one major surprise and the image, vivid after more than two weeks, of a kid in a red shirt.

I returned from a meeting-packed three days in Winnipeg, where I keynoted two conferences (one at Winnipeg University’s “Thinkers’ Conference”), participated in panels, shared thoughts with people working with at risk kids, and engaged in discussions with political and policy leaders. I also had the pleasure of spending a good bit of time with the Conference’s closing keynoter, Shulamith Koenig, an absolutely amazing woman, the recipient of the 2003 UN Prize for Human Rights.

When I’m on a speaking trip, I always want a jammed schedule: I refuse to air-drop in, give a speech and leave. I’m eager, no, more, I need to steep myself in what’s going on locally: I always learn, returning home spurred on by new ideas, new approaches.

I asked Bob Axworthy, the tireless conference coordinator and my “minder” for the three days, to give me in addition to everything else he had scheduled, the opportunity to speak with a few young people. “I’ll take you to Saint John’s in the city’s North Side,” he said. “Good bit of crime. Low graduation rates. Located in the highest crime area of the city.”

I had difficulty pulling myself away from a conversation at “New Directions“, and so arrived late at North High. The principal quickly took me upstairs, where I met a somewhat guilty-looking Axworthy. “Here’s a microphone. You’re on!”  “I’m on?”  He held open the door, which led to a stage in front of which sat “a few kids” –  about 350 of them at a school assembly.

After whispering to Axworthy that I was going to get even with him, I began with a personal note, describing the profound influence Dr. Martin Luther King had on me and my career. Not much resonance. So I shifted to them.

I had no notes, but this is what I recall of the hour with the kids. “I’m glad you’re here,” I began. “Many of your friends aren’t. Many, if not most of you, have been through a lot of stuff. Some of you have mothers on crack. Some of you may have a dad in jail. Some of you may have seen friends or relatives hurt badly, maybe even killed. Some of you have been on drugs. And some of you have been abused physically or even sexually.

“But guess what?  You’re here. You’re in school. And for some of you, that takes about every ounce of strength you’ve got. What’s even more important is this: what you’ve been through, the tough stuff, gives you a skill. You’ve got a friend who’s into drugs? If you’ve been there, you can help. If you’ve been hurt or lost a dad you can help another who’s going through the same thing. You’ve got pain. We all have some. You have more than most. It’s not going to go away fast, so use it to help others. You see, your pain must not be wasted. And helping another go through the hard stuff will ease your pain like nothing else.

Then I shifted. “Let’s look at what it takes to make it. We’re going to share thoughts about resiliency. A big word. Who knows what it means?” Most hands were in total lock down until one kid ventured, “Hope.”  “Close. We’re getting somewhere.”  Then this, from a half-slouching, half-grinning kid in a red tee shirt: “It means making it when you’re not supposed to.”  “Brilliant,” or something like it, I replied.

The Search Institute, the nation’s premier strength-based/resiliency research entity, points to 42 resiliency characteristics. I have my top five, and began to share them with the kids. I tried hard to involve as many of them as possible, but got only six or seven hands, maybe more. But one thing was clear: Red Shirt dominated, legitimate domination, for without wanting to show it, he watched me like a hawk, and was right on top of most questions…and the answers.

“Number one, a goal,” I began. “You are bound and determined to complete something. It can be small, like making the soccer team, passing your English class. Or it can be larger: graduating, getting a job, being the first in your family to go to college. The point is this: you are determined to make your goal. You are focused. You’re going to get there. Nothing’s going to stop you. If you don’t have a goal, anything can knock you over or knock you down.

“Second, an adult who is always there. Can be a parent, a coach, one of your teachers here, an uncle, a grandmother. Someone you can go to always, especially when you’re hurting”.  I didn’t ask for hands, as this is a conversation for an intimate group.

“Third, a skill, something you can point to”. ‘I can sing. I can shoot hoops. I can make people laugh. I am a brilliant mathematician, and can I ever act!  Discover what you’re good at and celebrate it.

“Fourth, optimism.”  Got a few hands on the definition of optimism. “Optimism can be a form of hope. I have hope. I know things will get better. Or optimism can be described in a theological way as in ‘I know God holds me in his hand.’

“Fifth, altruism.”  No takers on the definition of altruism. I told them that it meant that they had something that someone else needed and that they had a responsibility to help, that real living meant being there for others, too. “It also means that you know you have good stuff. If you share it, it means you feel good about yourself, that you have something someone else needs.”

We ended. I was given a Saint John’s “Tiger” tee shirt and “Tiger” mug just before the kids poured down from the tiers.

I asked the principal to grab Red Shirt. I had to talk to him. She steered him to me. I took his hand in both of mine, and I pulled him close. “I don’t know who you are. But I know this: you’re smart, really smart. And you read a lot.” Slight nod and an almost embarrassed smile. “And,” I said. You’re trouble. I can feel it. But man, you’re brilliant and you can do something huge with your life. Look at what you did today. You were the star. Some big words and big concepts. And you nailed most of it”.   I got an ambiguous half-smile and a curious look. He moved on and out, leaving with a knot of his buddies.

As we walked down the stairs to the car, the principal told me that Red Shirt was the biggest gang banger in the school.

Scott Larson, President of Straight Ahead Ministries, works with the toughest kids in the State of Massachusetts (among many other states). In a recent article, “The Power of Hope,” written for the Winter 2013 edition of the journal “Reclaiming Children and Youth,” Larson said,  “…having a sense of vision for a future is much more powerful [a] motivator than the mere commitment NOT to repeat the painful past…Hope requires saying yes to a future worth having, rather than merely no to that which is not wanted. And generally that future is one that is beyond the limits of past experiences. This is where the challenge to finding hope lies.”  Larson asserts that staying out of trouble, getting out of the gang, staying away from drugs and not getting locked up is not enough. We’ve got to help kids see a different future and then “…have someone walk with [them] through the changes necessary to access that future.”

Strange. I’ve seen and interacted with thousands of kids over my life time. But for some reason Red Shirt sticks with me.

I’m going to ask Axworthy to follow up with him. Maybe become his mentor. Axworthy owes me that. Someone owes Red Shirt that.


Jack Calhoun was a keynote speaker at the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council Annual Justice Dinner in April 2010. Reprinted with permission from Jack Calhoun and Hope Matters.

Are we asking the right questions?

Posted on: March 18th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

I recently received a pamphlet from the federal government in my home mailbox titled “First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education Consultations” announcing an effort to seek citizen input into Aboriginal education on reserves. This is an area covered by the federal government whereas for other populations, education is a provincial matter. The hope is for proposed legislation to improve educational opportunities for Aboriginal children and youth. To quote from the brochure, “We all need to continue working together to create the structures and standards to support strong, accountable education systems on reserve that ultimately contribute to the success of individual students and their communities”. As a long-time educator I applaud efforts to increase accessibility to quality education but the brochure got me thinking about other areas the government might seek consultation about regarding Aboriginal peoples.

Image: Brochure

The Toronto Star has run an excellent, but disturbing, series called “Unequal Justice” that cites data on the rate of incarceration among Aboriginal people that should shock us. It’s worth a read. For example, Aboriginal boys make up just 2.9% of the general population, but 15% of admissions into custody. That’s 5 times higher than the rate of other young males. Black youth are incarcerated at a rate of 4 times more than the general population. For white and other ethnic youth there is no such increase. The Star series provides an excellent snapshot of current data to cause one to ask some basic questions about our justice system. It reminds me of the quote from the 60’s: Is it justice or “just us’?

The picture is even more disturbing for Aboriginal girls who have an admission and incarceration rate 10 times higher than other females in the general population. And this trend rises while the rate of crime is declining overall. Think about that for a moment…. We are putting more people in jail even though fewer crimes are being committed. And, those we incarcerate at higher rates tend to be non-whites. Are we supposed to believe that some people are genetically predisposed to committing more crime? Now, that would indeed be wacky science and we’ve been down that road too many times in our human history already. No, genetics is not the reason. The reason is rooted in society being reactive rather than proactive. Instead of allowing conditions to reach crisis proportions before we notice them we should all be engaged in fostering those conditions that support the needs of all people in Canada. Only that will lead to lower incarceration rates overall, and, specifically for populations that are over represented in our justice system.

In adult jails, the rate of incarceration for Aboriginal peoples is 6 times higher and 4 times higher for persons of colour than that of other populations. In reading this your first thought may be, “wow, that’s a lot of victims out there”. There is no victimless crime and no-one should diminish their suffering. But, would there be so many victims if the system wasn’t so broken? Shouldn’t we be looking at how we got here and how to prevent it from here?

I have never received a brochure from the government asking me for my input on why we incarcerate some members of our society more than others. I have never received a brochure asking my opinion on living conditions on reserves. I have never received a brochure seeking my views on treaty rights. I have never been asked about how we treat prisoners in regards to double-bunking, reduced educational opportunities or counselling services while incarcerated. It kind of begs the question then… why I am being asked only about educational opportunities provided to Aboriginal youth?

Sure, good education will help mitigate against one of the major root causes of crime, and I applaud that. But so will good housing, safe water, help for mental health and addictions and so on.

All of which leads me to wonder whether we are asking the right questions. By focusing only on education are we turning the light away from all of the other life issues that work against public safety? Multiple problems need multiple and integrated solutions.

If, for example, we know that it costs us between $90,000 and $230,000 to incarcerate one person, then why are we not talking about diverting at least some of those resources into programs and social development efforts that will keep people from committing crime in the first place?

I am waiting for the brochure to enter my mail box that will not piecemeal the issues but provide me with an honest to goodness comprehensive picture about the root causes that put some populations are at a social disadvantage for which we all pay dearly in reaction, and more importantly how we can go about changing that.

Now, THAT would be a consultation worth having.


Author: Frank Johnson is a regular guest writer for Smart on Crime in Waterloo Region. Frank is a retired principal with the local Catholic school board, a dad, and sometimes runner who possesses an irreverent sense of humour that periodically gets him in trouble. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario.

Frank Johnson’s writing reflects his own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or official positions of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.

What I would love to hear in a Throne Speech in Ontario

Posted on: February 19th, 2013 by Smart on Crime

As Kathleen Wynne assumes office as Ontario’s 25th premier the time has never been better for the Ontario government to overhaul and modernize its approach to crime prevention.

And that overhaul is long overdue.

The current model of crime prevention at the provincial level is a fragmented collection of silo-restricted programs and services with multiple competing interests and little coordination. In many respects it hinders and makes it more difficult for communities at the local level to effectively engage in crime prevention through social development.

It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council offers a perfect case study into what can happen when disparate groups with unique mandates seek and find common ground — thereby ensuring all appropriate forces are brought to bear on issues of common concern.

And what could be more important to a society than stopping crime – before it happens?

Adopting the WRCPC model of proactive mitigation at the provincial level would provide the government with a very simple, low cost solution to the current gridlock and would position Ontario as one of the world’s foremost “smart on crime” jurisdictions.

All it will take is some political will and an agreement among stakeholders that when it comes to fighting crime it’s far more effective to work together to prevent crime before it happens than to scramble in competition for scarce resources to clean up the mess after the fact.

To that end, the new Wynne government would be well served to move immediately in establishing a new Ontario Crime Prevention Secretariat (OCPS).

The OCPS would be staffed by experts seconded to the secretariat from government ministries that currently or would potentially develop policies and / or offer programs associated with addressing the root causes of crime.

This simple redeployment of existing resources could be accomplished with minimal new investment and would allow and facilitate a new administrative framework whose sole purpose would be ensuring elimination of A) inter-ministerial overlap, B) inter-ministerial competition and C) inter-ministerial lack of communication on crime prevention issues, policy development and program delivery.

If you look at the organizations comprising the multi-disciplinary Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council (which could very easily be termed the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Secretariat) it’s easy to see instant parallels with existing Ontario government ministries (all of which have a piece of the “root causes of crime” puzzle in one form or another).

The new OCPS could conceivably be comprised of staff seconded from any or all of the following government ministries (alphabetically):

  • Aboriginal Affairs
  • Attorney General
  • Children & Youth Services
  • Citizenship & Immigration
  • Community & Social Services
  • Community Safety & Correctional Services
  • Education
  • Health & Long Term Care
  • Health Promotion & Sport
  • Municipal Affairs & Housing
  • Seniors’ Secretariat
  • Training, Colleges & Universities
  • Women’s Directorate

Of course, taking this “secretariat” approach would also help the government more readily tackle the recommendations made by the Hon. Alvin Curling and the Hon. Justice Roy McMurtry in their “Roots of Youth Violence” report.

Unfortunately, this recommendation for an Ontario Crime Prevention Secretariat – while personally well received by past Ministers of Community Safety and Correctional Services – has never made it to the inner circles of government.

As Premier Wynne ushers in a new era in Ontario politics here’s hoping this proactive, cost-saving and “smart on crime” approach to crime prevention through social development finds its way to her desk and into government policy.


John Shewchuk is Chief Managing Officer of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and a past Chair of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council. John Shewchuk’s article reflects his own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views or official positions of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.

What We’re Reading: Rescuing Policy

Posted on: January 28th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

How can government solve the complex issues facing society?

It may be, relatively speaking, straightforward for a government to cut taxes or make the trains run on time but alleviating poverty, reducing crime or eliminating pollution are problems too difficult for government alone to solve. In a previous video post, I discussed how politicians react to public opinion by creating public policy. I argued for a complex relationship between public opinion and policy. I’m about to contradict myself….. this is not always the case. In some instances political parties attempt to react directly to public opinion and create straightforward policy solutions.

In Rescuing Policy: The Case for Public Engagement, author  Don Lenihan argues that the ‘consumer model of politics’ is the wrong approach. In the consumer model, political parties try to address the very specific concerns of voters in hopes of winning their support. Instead of addressing the big, long term, complex issues facing society, parties try and focus on simple solutions while avoiding taking positions on anything that might lose them support.

Lenihan believes this model cannot be used to deal with the difficult problems society faces because simple solutions are generally not effective at addressing complex issues. To borrow from another book, Getting to Maybe outlines a simple problem like baking a cake beside a complex problem like raising a child. A one page recipe probably will not give you the information you need to raise a child who turns into a healthy, well adjusted adult.

Simple, Complicated and Complex Problems
Simple Complicated Complex
Baking a Cake Sending a Rocket to the Moon Raising a Child
The recipe is essential Rigid protocols or formulas are needed Rigid protocols have a limited application or are counter-productive
Recipes are tested to assure easy replication Sending one rocket increases the likelihood that the next will also be a success Raising one child provides experience but is not guarantee of success with the next
No particular expertise is required, but experience increases success rate High levels of expertise and training in a variety of fields are necessary for success Expertise helps but only when balanced with responsiveness to the particular child
A good recipe produces nearly the same cake every time Key elements of each rocket MUST be identical to succeed Every child is unique and must be understood as an individual
The best recipes give good results every time There is a high degree of certainty of outcome Uncertainty of outcome remains
A good recipe notes the quantity and nature of the “parts” needed and specifies the order in which to combine them, but there is room for experimentation Success depends on a blueprint that directs both the development of separate parts and specifies the exact relationship in which to assemble them Can’t separate the parts from the whole; essence exists in the relationship between different people, different experiences, different moments in time

From “Getting to Maybe. How the World is Changed” (2006) Frances Westley, Brenda Zimmerman, Michael Quinn Patton

Similarly, Lenihan argues societal problems cannot be solved by a government led effort which is focused on simple solutions designed first and foremost to help win re-election. Instead Lenihan believes true collaboration between government, citizen and stakeholder groups is needed to create effective policy solutions.

Lenihan does not just criticize the current state of policy making, he also offers a solution. He recommends a model of public engagement where governments have a real dialogue with citizens. Many books and experts suggest that government needs to do a better job of listening to people but Lenihan takes this approach a step further. Instead of just asking for citizen concerns or people’s suggested solutions (i.e. consultation) he proposes that government, the public and stakeholders collectively develop an action plan with each group committing to playing a role in solving the problems identified. This is the key distinction. Most public engagement strategies stop at gathering input from citizens and then it is government’s responsibility to react to this input. Lenihan’s approach gathers input from citizens then once this input is received citizens are asked to work with government on implementing solutions.

Seeing a book defend this approach is reassuring for staff of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council (WRCPC).

WRCPC, since its inception, has consistently followed this philosophy. Our projects regularly engage the public in the work of creating and implementing solutions to complex problems. Recently, for example, we created a plan to help children & youth involved the criminal justice system and the child welfare system (commonly known as crossover children because they ‘crossover’ from the child welfare system into the criminal justice system). The plan, like any good government strategy, was developed in consultation with the community but we echoed Lenihan’s approach and developed tasks for WRCPC and tasks for community agencies like Family and Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region. It is nice to know when asking our partners to implement solutions with us we are on strong intellectual grounding.

Rescuing Policy does an excellent job of conveying the importance of shifting away from the consumer model of politics and explaining at a high level an alternative approach to consulting with the public. However, the book fails at providing the tools for practitioners to easily replicate the public engagement methods discussed in the book. Towards the end of Rescuing Policy, Lenihan touches on his plans to release a manual or textbook on designing public engagement processes. When this textbook is complete it will hopefully aid policy makers to put into practice the ideas contained in Rescuing Policy.

Rescuing Policy is available free from The Public Policy Forum. Electronic copies are available online here or you can order a copy here. If you develop public engagement processes, or want the help change the landscape for how public engagement is carried out in our communities,  I encourage you to pick up a copy of this insightful book.


Author: Anthony Piscitelli is Supervisor, Planning & Research with the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council. He collaborates on all research efforts published by WRCPC in addition to running the office sports pools.