Setting the stage

The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (the ministry) has been working with federal, provincial and municipal partners and local community stakeholders to develop a provincial approach to increase community safety and well-being.

The dialogue initially used the terminology “crime prevention” which has traditionally been seen as mainly a police responsibility. But it is clear that Ontario communities recognize the essential leadership roles played by a wide variety of sectors. Part of this clarity comes from the understanding that while those in the policing sector tend to use the phrase “crime prevention”, educators may identify “safe schools” and health professionals may focus on the “social determinants of health”. What these sectors are all referring to, in their own way, is community safety and well-being. As a result, the provincial dialogue has been refocused.

The ministry encourages communities to move away from relying solely on reactionary and incident driven responses, and implement social development practices by identifying and responding to risks that increase the likelihood of criminal activity, victimization or harm, and working together to build local capacity and strong networks to implement proactive measures.

The provincial approach requires integrated community leadership and the flexibility to be responsive to local circumstances, needs and priorities. In order to plan for the future, community safety and well-being must be a shared commitment that is grounded in local leadership, meaningful multi-sectoral collaboration and must include responses that are community-focused, rooted in evidence and outcome-based.

Purpose

Community Safety and Well-Being in Ontario: A Snapshot of Local Voices has been written as a follow-up to the Crime prevention in Ontario: A framework for action, which was released broadly in 2012. The Framework for action was the first booklet in this series and was developed to raise awareness and promote the benefits of community safety and well-being among Ontario communities.

As local input from Ontario is a critical component to the success of the provincial approach, this second booklet is based entirely on information gathered from communities across the province.

This booklet is intended to act as an additional resource for local communities. It highlights locally-identified challenges to community safety and well-being that are shared across communities and locally-identified promising practices that respond to noted challenges. It also sheds light on Ontario’s way forward in strengthening community safety and well-being on a sustainable basis and introduces the Ministry’s third and final booklet in this series which will take the shape of a framework for community safety and well-being planning.