According to the 2012 report From One System to Another: Crossover Children in Waterloo Region, “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” (WRCPC, pg.2). Children who enter out-of-home care often come from disadvantaged families and have been subjected to maltreatment and neglect. The impact of trauma experienced from abuse, neglect, and being removed from their family home can affect a child’s cognitive functioning and may also result in challenging behaviors that jeopardize their development (Reid & Dudding, 2006; Stone, 2007; Trout et al., 2008). As a result youth-in-care are often at higher risk of:
Involvement in the youth justice system
Homelessness
Substance use
Becoming parents earlier
Living in poverty
Using social assistance
Experience emotional and behavioural difficulties
Four out of ten young people in care have a parent who was a client of the child welfare system as a child. (Leschied et al. London Study, 2003)
Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region (FCS) is keenly aware of these research results and is working hard to help improve outcomes for children and youth in care. Admitting a child into care is always a last resort for workers, however when a child is not able to remain safely in their own home, FCS must provide a safe alternative. One of our FCS key service priorities is to ensure that all children have the permanent support of a safe, loving and nurturing family (preferably their own family) in which they can grow and develop towards successful adulthood.
Children in care numbers remained fairly consistent with some modest increases and decreases between the years 2007/08 to 2010/11. However, in the year 2011/12 the agency experienced a significant increase in children in care numbers – 6% over the previous year. As part of a regular review of our service trends, we examined the increase in child admissions to care in 2011/12. Despite the increase, many of these admissions were for short period of time (i.e. five days or less). The increased number of children in care was driven by a number of factors. The economic downturn is felt to have contributed to an increase in referrals and protection applications. The agency also experienced an increase in parents abandoning their children to society care due to lack of resources in the community – particularly resources related to respite services for teens and children with complex developmental/medical needs. In 2011/12 there was also a lack of regional subsidized day care spaces in the community – daycare is often viewed as a protective factor for young vulnerable children who are more visible in the community when they regularly attend daycare.
Agency and Provincial Response to Youth in Care Outcomes
For those children who do require out of home care, Family and Children’s Services works hard to ensure that these children have every opportunity to develop to their full potential. Each child in care has an individual plan developed by the youth, the family, the worker, and key supports in the youth’s life. The plan of care focuses on improving a child/youth’s well-being and resilience. Family and Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region, along with other CAS’s across the province, use The Ontario Looking after Children (OnLAC) model to help improve the outcomes for children placed in out of home care. A key focus of OnLAC is the assessment, documentation and tracking of a child’s developmental progress through an annual assessment (AAR-C2: Flynn, Ghazal, & Legault, 2006).
In addition to planning for individual children, the data gathered through OnLAC is useful at the agency and provincial level to inform service planning on many different levels. Review of data by staff, foster parents and community partners provides assistance with evaluation and future planning and helps raise awareness and increases the attention given to improving outcomes for children in care.
Prevention of Adolescent Admissions
FCS is attempting to work collaboratively with our community partners to reduce adolescent admissions to care. While we recognize the stress that many parents face when dealing with challenging teens, admission to care is rarely the best answer. There are numerous unintended consequences of admitting adolescents to care. Once admitted, youth are;
Less likely to return home to their family
Less likely to successfully work through family issues
In addition, having an adolescent youth in care may lead to decreased feelings of competence and confidence for the parents and may lead to decreased feelings of safety and security for youth.
What Can be done by the Community?
When for whatever reason, parents/caregivers of youth do not feel capable of responding to the youth’s behaviour the caregivers turn to the larger systems to help contain that behaviour
The larger systems available to them are education, child welfare, youth justice
Those systems need to be able to come together in a way that helps support the family in responding to the youth’s distress, rather than taking a punitive stance or removing the youth from their (wider) system of support
It is important for these systems to respond from a trauma and attachment informed lens (i.e look to what is underneath the behaviour, help parents understand the impact of trauma and disrupted attachments in their own lives). This will guide the systems in helping the family to maintain the youth
Interventions need to be aimed at helping the family to return to a place of emotional and physical safety
Jill Stoddart is the Senior Manager of Innovation, Research and Development at Family and Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region. Jill has a Master’s degree in Social Work from Wilfrid Laurier University and is currently engaged in her Doctoral studies. Jill has spent the last 25 years in the Waterloo Region working with children and families in Developmental Services, Mental Health and Child Welfare.
Posted on: July 11th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Over the next ten weeks stay tuned here to the blog discussion on The Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region where community leaders, community residents and leading experts across Waterloo Region weigh in on the root causes of crime outlined in the report.
Source Data: Statistics Canada, Census (Released Every Five Years)
Story Behind the Numbers
Home ownership in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA increased from 2001 to 2006. This increase in home ownership echoes the national trend which saw a similar increase over this time period. This is a positive trend for Waterloo Region as it indicates increased stability within the population.
Posted on: June 27th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Over the next ten weeks stay tuned here to the blog discussion on The Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region where community leaders, community residents and leading experts across Waterloo Region weigh in on the root causes of crime outlined in the report.
Income of Low Income Families
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. The graph below shows the average income of individuals in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA and compares it to the average income of low income individuals in this area. This chart tracks the gap between low income individuals and those with significantly better economic means.
The gap between low income families and the middle income families is growing in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo CMA. This gap is largely the by-product of stagnant incomes for low income individuals. This growth disparity in the distribution of income suggests low income families in Waterloo Region are not benefiting equally from economic growth.
Posted on: June 25th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Our Waterloo Region community has a lot to say about most any topic you can think of, but, we are particularly passionate when it comes to talking about making change for a healthier and stronger community. We’re pretty good at moving to action too, not just talking about it!
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.
In addition to being a monitoring tool the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council is using this report to aid members of the public in comprehending the complex connection between social and economic circumstances and crime. The report was written in a straightforward manner with each of the root causes containing an explanation of why it was included, a graph showing the statistics for Waterloo Region and a short story giving details on what is going on behind the numbers. Additionally, Wade McAdam created the following information graphic to help tell the story of the root causes in an easily accessible format.
A Snapshot in Time is also designed to be a catalyst for conversations in Waterloo Region about the root causes of crime. Over the next ten weeks tune in to this discussion through our blog series where community leaders, community residents and leading experts across Waterloo Region weigh in on the root causes of crime outlined in the report. Numbers only tell part of the story. It’s the human stories and context that make them come alive, create insight and move us to action.
I hope you will join us. We’re standing by… waiting to hear what you have to say!
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.
We 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:
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.
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.
Posted on: April 24th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
This is 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 below were given by WRCPC Executive Director, Christiane Sadeler on behalf of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight on the topic of a casino in Kitchener or the Waterloo Region. I am representing the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council; I also live in downtown Kitchener.
The Crime Prevention Council opposes the opening of a casino within Waterloo Region. However, in the event that a casino should be opened here, we recommend that the development and operations of the casino must incorporate crime prevention considerations and harm reduction strategies from the very beginning.
We have provided you with a full copy of the position statement and also included some materials that we believe are relevant in this context. The position statement is also available on our website (www.preventingcrime.ca). In the interest of time I can only highlight a few aspects of the position.
There has been no dialogue that did NOT at some point mention the concern that crimes increase in the proximity of casinos. Your own city online survey mentions safety along with considerations of health, city image and so on. Fear of long term impact on our quality of life is often as detrimental as crime itself. Perceptions can become reality. Right or wrong the connection between casinos and crime is part of public discourse. And perceptions are hard to change. We know that by now.
But what does the evidence tell us?
This is where it gets a little more grey. The research findings about a connection between crime and casinos are mixed, if not inconclusive. It would not be correct to claim that casinos have a DIRECT impact on crime, at least not an impact that would differ from that of other large entertainment facilities, at first sight. Direct links between crime and any one community action are hard to come by and must always be seen in the context of decreasing crime rates in the last decade.
We therefore must look beyond the direct connections to what we know about risks. What puts us at risk of crime, victimization, and fear of crime? It is here that the public health research is compelling and worthy of your in-depth consideration. We know that over 30% of profits in gambling come from problem gamblers and those at risk for gambling addictions. We know that these individuals share characteristics that are best defined as root causes of crime. We have detailed them in our position statement along with a report about root causes. We encourage you to consult both.
Simply put, whenever we increase the vulnerability of those already at risk, the financial and human burden to them and their families are quickly matched by the community and social costs. While casinos may not directly lead to increases in street level crime, they do lead to increases in other social ills and crimes, such as, intimate partner violence, addictions, etc. From a prevention standpoint these should concern us as much as public safety and disorder issues.
Problem gambling erodes the health of individuals and those close to them and by extension, of the communities in which they live.
The Ontario Lottery Gaming Commission does not deny that gambling addictions exist and that they come at a cost. These are brochures that are provided right at the Windsor Casino entrance, alerting patrons to these risks.
So, gambling facilities come with warning label. They also come with treatment recommendations if the warning labels were not effective. This is not forward thinking. This is resigning ourselves to the fact that along with these facilities will come problems.
Prevention is cross-generational. Are we OK with a baby born in 2013 becoming the casino patron of 2033? If the answer is, even remotely, “we are not sure”, then we need to hit pause and look more deeply at the research and the rationale for considering a casino here in the first place. Will the benefits justify the costs? Are we informed by the “8-80” concept? Is it a good decision for the 8 year old in our community AND for the 80 year old in our community no matter what walks of life they come from?
Most people who gamble may not engage in criminal activities. But those at risk of gambling addictions are vulnerable to many other issues that come at a social cost, crime among them.
We believe that for the crimes committed by the offender he or she is responsible; for not dealing with the root causes of crime when these are known to us, all of us are responsible.
However, if the decision is to bring a casino to our city the Crime Prevention Council recommends that prevention and harm reduction methods are included in the development and operations from the very beginning. In the position paper, we have outlined 12 harm reduction recommendations. These include considerations about alcohol consumption, placement of ATM machines, opening hours, self exclusion programs etc. The first recommendation is to establish a region wide advisory group with expertise in problem gambling prevention to provide input from the beginning, including during the RFP process.
In conclusion, the decision that you are faced with, in the mind of the Crime Prevention Council, is not to be taken lightly. It is a decision that will affect the well being of generations beyond all of us present here tonight. Waterloo Region is one of the safest and ultimately prosperous communities in Canada. We have become known for innovation and forward thinking. There is little innovative about a casino. We are on a solid path of creating and maintaining a safe and healthy community. It is hard to imagine that we can lose by passing on the idea of a casino. It is easier to imagine what we might lose if we take this on.
Thank you for your time and we wish you well in your decision making.
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.
Posted on: December 21st, 2012 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
At this time of year almost every time we turn the on the TV we see a film based on the season. My favourite is “It’s a Wonderful Life”. I’m sure you know it.
It’s a Christmas classic about a small-town guy (George Bailey, played by James Stewart) who falls into some financial difficulty on Christmas Eve through no fault of his own. His partner in his Building and Loan Association and Uncle, Billy, has lost his deposit on the same day the bank examiner is coming to inspect their books. Without the deposit they will be in serious legal trouble. His competitor, Mr. Potter, who acts as the town’s ‘Scrooge’ and owns the bank where Uncle Billy was depositing the money, finds the lost money and keeps it to himself. The Building and Loan Association loans money to people Mr. Potter won’t so that they can have a decent home and create a community of people caring for and about each other.
This sends George into despair and he contemplates taking his life in the hopes his insurance will cover the deficit and save his family from ruin. Up in Heaven (yes, in 1946 we could talk openly about that) an apprentice angel named Clarence is waiting for a chance to earn his wings. He is assigned to George so that he may save him from this terrible choice. He does so by creating a situation where George has to save his life and George, being the guy he is, doesn’t’t hesitate.
George tells his new friend Clarence about his troubles and feeling that he is a failure. Clarence hatches a plan to show him what life in his town of Bedford Falls would be like had George not been there to be a friend to so many. The town had become a gambling den, rife with crime and poverty. It’s a sad life without George and he has an epiphany that brings him back to reality willing to face consequences for something he did not do.
However, in the meantime his wife and friends have banded together to raise the missing money that saves George from disgrace and jail. In the climatic scene that closes the film (spoiler alert) as the family and friends are gathered by the Christmas tree, a bell on the tree rings and Zuzu, George’s youngest daughter tells him every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings. As he looks down into the basket of money raised by his friends and family he spots Clarence’s favourite book with an inscription “No man is a failure who has friends”. You may remember the scene. George is a friend to many in his hometown of Bedford Falls and at that moment he experiences the fruit of all the friendships he has made over the years. It is a powerful story, almost a parable, about as far away from “Bad Santa” as you can get.
The concept of “friends” and the influential role they play in our lives and our projects aligns with the initiative of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council’s launch of the “Friends of Crime Prevention” network. This idea grew out of the work done by the ad hoc Governance Committee, led by the efforts of Peter Ringrose and others. Their task was to increase the engagement of the citizens of the Region without adding to the Council’s membership, which is already comprehensive. The ad hoc committee did not use the term “acquaintances” or “associates” but purposefully used “Friends” because of its power.
Think of your close friends. These are people who share your passion and principles and who will stand with you even when things are tough; in fact, especially when things are tough. These are the people the WRCPC is looking for as friends of Crime Prevention.
What is a Friend of Crime Prevention?
A Friend can be an individual, community agency, business, municipality. Anyone with a passion for community
A Friend sees the connection between the work that they do and the opportunities to work together for a safer community
A Friend wants to become part of a larger network of peers
A Friend wants to stay informed about recent events, trends and research
A Friend takes action to create change in their own neighbourhood, community, workplace or organization.
No one organization, including the WRPS, John Howard Society, school boards, among many, can solve the problem of crime by working alone. We need their expertise and input but we also need that of businesses, social agencies, churches, colleges, universities and, perhaps equally as important, neighbourhoods made up of citizens like you and me who want to live in a safer, more civil society.
Another goal of the WRCPC is to provide strategic leadership in bringing many voices to the table and providing timely and relevant support, resources, research and sponsorship of events that will be the clearinghouse of ideas and projects for crime prevention in Waterloo Region. As you know, the WRCPC is looked to around the world as an exemplar of an organization that mobilizes the community to prevent crime.
The Friends of Crime Prevention initiative is a demonstration of the Council’s commitment to meeting the goals of its Strategic Plan. This network of friends, working collaboratively with each other and the Council shows that it takes a village to also create a community. It gives us access to a broader alliance of people sharing a common purpose who can bring a new array of knowledge and skills to collectively own the goal of truly creating safe streets and communities, more by collaborative actions than legislation.
Like George Bailey, we believe in the power of community. We know communities are groups of friends who want the best for each other and know that safe streets and neighbourhoods are born from connectivity. Research based upon the “Broken Window Theory” demonstrates that citizens, taking an active and intentional role in their community, help make it safer. In that theory, if no one intervenes to keep a neighbourhood safe, then it will continue to deteriorate and can become criminalized as the sense of community is lost since there is no collective ownership of the neighbourhood.
By becoming a “Friend of Crime Prevention” you can, as Gandhi said, “ be the change you wish to see in the world”. It’s a pretty simple process. Just visit www.preventingcrime.ca/friends, and join.
And, on December 24th, grab some popcorn and enjoy “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Oh, and some Kleenex too. You’ll need it.
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.
Fans of the television show The Simpsons will remember an early episode where a casino opens in Springfield and Marge becomes addicted to gambling.
The episode continues with Marge neglecting the Simpson family and Homer ultimately declaring “the only monster here is the gambling monster that has enslaved your mother! I call him Gamblor, and it’s time to snatch your mother from his neon claws!”
Oh Gamblor, the problem gambling demon that many fear moves into town when a casino opens. With the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation considering a new casino somewhere in southern Ontario, possibly even Woolwich Township in our region, we started looking for evidence of the link between casinos, crime and the impact on communities.
Do casinos increase crime?
Ontario’s casinos are government owned and operated which likely decreases the presence of organized crime in casinos. Street-level crimes such as money laundering, counterfeiting, theft, assault, robbery, drug dealing, and prostitution sometimes occur in and around casinos. There is disagreement in the research as to whether or not street-level crime increases when a casino opens.
In Ontario there is no clear link between casinos and crime. Since opening casinos in the 1990’s Ontario casino towns have not experienced increased crime. However individuals with criminal records may be attracted casinos. There is a lot of research from outside of Canada that indicates robbery and theft increase when a casino opens. The largest U.S. study on casinos and crime found that crime decreased for the first two years of casino operations and then increased three to five years after a casino opened, spilling over to neighbouring communities. Another U.S. study found that violent crime increased by 10% after a casino opened.
Casinos increase problem gambling
What is clear in the research is that the presence of a casino increased problem gambling in the community. Problem gambling, like any addiction, can lead to crimes such as fraud, theft, drug dealing, or prostitution. The impacts on family can be severe as problem gambling has been linked to increased domestic violence and child abuse.
Casinos decrease social capital
Casinos can erode the level of trust in a community by increasing fear of crime and therefore decreasing social capital. Calls to police reporting suspicious person are greater in casino areas, suggesting people may be less trusting around casinos.
So what can be done to ensure that Gamblor does not take hold of your loved ones? Casinos can take steps to promote responsible gambling including: information to gamblers, casino policies, and the physical casino space.
Having information on problem gambling visible and available to all gamblers. This includes putting gambling helpline numbers and websites on slot machines
Limiting the size of bets
Posting the odds for games and increasing awareness of how random chance works. Just for fun… here’s a great video on how random chance works and how to gamble responsibly (produced by Gambling Awareness Nova Scotia in cooperation with the Ontario Problem Gambling Research Centre (OPGRC) and in partnership with Addiction Services, Nova Scotia Health and Wellness)
Not serving refreshments at gaming tables or machines
Training casino staff to identify and intervene with problem gamblers
Allowing players to set their own loss and time limits
Closing the casino for at least 6 hours a day
Having a gambler tracking system that helps identify problem gamblers and sends all gamblers regular statements on their winnings and loses
Having self exclusion programs that are well promoted and easy to use
The physical casino space
Having a registration desk where gamblers must sign in and present identification
Only having one ATM in a casino that does not take credit cards and has a withdrawal limit of $250 dollars per person per day
Modifying slot machines to eliminate features that encourage excessive play
Having fewer tables and gaming formats
The discussion about casinos and crime needs to be informed by evidence and we found that alongside problem gambling there are other problems that come with a casino such as the possibility of increased crime and likelihood of social capital decreasing. However some of these impacts can be lessened by casinos implementing best practices in responsible gambling. If Waterloo Region does choose to host a casino considering these best practices could lessen the harmful effects of problem gambling.
Gamblor will happily move in with a casino but we might be able to prevent his neon claws from getting a hold of the community. Do you know of examples where communities have successfully preserved their social capital and prevented the potential negative impacts of casino may bring?
NB: If you are curious about the full list of sources used for this article, email us at info [at] smartoncrime.ca and we’ll send you the whole list!
Keely Phillips is a Masters of Social Work candidate at Wilfrid Laurier University and has spent the past four months completing her practicum placement with WRCPC. She was excited to be able to use her love of The Simpsons to discuss casinos, crime, and problem gambling, marking the second time she has used The Simpsons as academic fodder. Previously, she used The Simpsons in her undergraduate degree to examine the gendered experience of leisure.
Posted on: November 29th, 2012 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council
Has the Internet and its anonymity ruined civility? Let me be more precise. Has our ability to instantaneously respond to issues that we see reported in the media given rise to intemperate thoughts, comments or attitudes? What makes me ask the question is reading the reader comments to articles in any given newspaper, on any given day, on almost any topic.
One would have thought the comments are moderated but maybe this would be seen as a violation of free speech. Doesn’t free speech have some limits in the newspaper? I just don’t get why readers who respond to articles in the online version of newspapers have to demonize people with whom they disagree. I’ve contacted our own local newspaper numerous times on this issue but nothing has changed.
Whether the issue of education or health care funding, bullying, the air show or almost any other endeavour covered by the local paper, there is almost a guarantee that someone will either see a conspiracy, a government rip-off or some other nefarious plot to impose something on themselves or others. Is it the anonymity allowed that allows them to berate politicians, newsmakers, civil servants, immigrants and others they have a problem with without identifying themselves? Whatever happened to civil discourse where one can disagree without being disagreeable? If you think I am exaggerating, take a look at the comments on almost any issue covered in the local paper. Now, maybe it’s not a big issue because the people who write their missives tend to do so in response to those written by others. One tends to see the same usernames over and over again and they often battle with each other. I think it’s great that they like to be involved with the news of the day. More power to them. What bothers me is the vitriol that is spread and the assumptions that are made. You may know about the theory of attribution where we tend to ascribe the worst possible motives to others who may have offended us while diminishing any role we may have played. In this theory we don’t give others the benefit of the doubt that we may allow ourselves. If people want to comment in this fashion and fight with each other, maybe the newspapers can create a separate page where commenters can talk to themselves and not attach comments to the bottom of the online article.
I am not alone in noticing this issue. Rosie DiManno, a long-time columnist with The Toronto Star recently wrote a column decrying the anonymity allowed commenters noting that much of what is written can be considered libelous. She made the point that her editors would refuse her columns if they contained the same kinds of unproved allegations allowed in online responses. People seem to feel that the internet has given them something akin to Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak allowing them to scurry around the halls of the online commenting world unseen and free from responsibility.
T – Is it True H – Is it Hurtful I – Is it Illegal N – Is it Necessary K – Is it Kind
These filters are being used by students who have put a blue elastic band around their phones to remind them the texting can be used to bully or defame another. Many young people are unaware that some things they text or attachments they send are covered under the Criminal Code and they could be held liable for their actions. This proactive approach will not, by itself, solve the problem of online bullying but at least it’s a step in the right direction. Maybe this simple acronym could be used by those who comment online and whose comments seem to pass unfiltered through our local newspaper’s edit process.
But it’s not just the Internet where we see a lack of civility; I was recently at a local mall handing out “Say Hi” buttons to passersby during Crime Prevention Week and to chat with them about the work of the Crime Prevention Council. It was a study in social psychology to see the effort some people went to not to make eye contact with me. Their ability to duck out of my way would make them valuable assets to any major hockey team. One would think I was asking them if they would like typhus or Ebola instead of a Say Hi button. It was actually quite comical. Many responded to my offer of a button with a curt “I don’t live in Waterloo”. I guess saying hi is prohibited by a city bylaw in their respective region.
Is there a correlation between a less civil society and increased crime? Some think so, though the definition of ‘civility’ may relate more to neighbourhood development that what might archaically be called ‘good manners’. Certainly healthy neighbourhoods that are well taken care of and where neighbours actually know each other mitigate against rampant street crime. So, I may be putting myself out there by suggesting that if we were simply nicer to each other, in how we speak, how we write, how we drive, how we shut off our iPhones and BlackBerries in theatres and while waiting in lines at the market (you get the picture) might we end up with a safer place to live? Isn’t that what we want?
We all have a part in this; we could all use a little more ‘THINK-ing’. And maybe, the newspapers could rethink their position on moderating comments or at least, raise the standards by which it judges comments as appropriate.
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.
Source Data: Statistics Canada, Census (Released Every Five Years)
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We 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:
