Fear of Crime & Quality of Life

Posted on: November 19th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Fear of crime may cause an increase in crime within a community. Although there is not a consensus in the literature around this point, it is clear that  fear of crime is unwelcome and tends to negatively impact quality of life. Fear of crime is measured in this survey as the percentage of respondents indicating they […]

Fear of Crime: Perspectives from a Mayor

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

There has long been a perception that Kitchener’s downtown core is more unsafe than other downtowns and neighbourhoods in our Region. To dig deeper into the Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region indicator on fear of crime, we tracked down the Mayor of Kitchener, Carl Zehr. 1) What is your response […]

Social Capital as a protective factor for reducing crime

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

Social capital refers to the human connections and capacities that contribute to the wealth and well being of a community. Social capital is developed in many ways such as participating in community groups, helping someone solve a problem or by saying hello to a neighbour. High levels of social capital have been linked to reduced […]

Life at 17

Posted on: November 12th, 2013 by Smart on Crime

I live a busy life. Like many of you, I wear a lot of hats in our community. I have a really hard time saying ‘no’ to people, causes, and commitments that intrigue me. Which is how I found myself parked in gridlock on Toronto’s busy Lakeshore Drive one drizzly, grey, and miserable November evening […]

Sexual violence is pervasive, but it’s not inevitable. It’s preventable.

Posted on: October 30th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Thanks to the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council for their 2012 report A Snapshot in Time: The Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region. The report has been a conversation starter for important dialogue in our community. It shines a spotlight on the root causes of crime locally, and uses calls to our Centre’s 24 […]

Sexual Assault Crisis Calls: An Indicator of Violence in Waterloo Region

Posted on: October 30th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Only one in eight sexual assaults in Canada is reported to police. The Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region calls for service provides an additional data point to examine sexual assault rates in Waterloo Region. However, this number should be viewed with caution as it fluctuates based on promotion of the crisis line and […]

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, […]

They keep coming back

Posted on: October 15th, 2013 by Smart on Crime

Surprise!! Surprise!! “Length of involvement in schooling significantly impacts participation in criminal activity”, reports the recently released Snapshot on Crime: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo Region. It is good to have the statistical evidence to corroborate what we already know as parents, teachers, and concerned citizens. To reframe, length of involvement in schooling increases […]

No Cookie Cutters in the Kitchen, Please

Posted on: October 10th, 2013 by Smart on Crime

The Snapshot in Time: Root Causes of Crime in Waterloo region data on Young Males 15 – 24, by itself, is good information to have but I don’t think that an increase in the population of males aged 15-24 is any reason for alarm. The data clearly shows that the rise in the number of […]

Young Males, Violence and Crime: Should we be Surprised?

Posted on: October 8th, 2013 by Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council

Young males commit most violent crimes in Canada and they are at a higher risk of being a victim of crime. Young males are more likely than other age and gender cohorts to be involved in petty crime such as vandalism and graffiti. As such, the number of males aged 15 to 24 in a community […]