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@ a glance - Increase general consultation on long-term police issues and establish working community advisory committee. - Limit police expenditure by creating a collaborative, community-based, security camera network - Support the distribution of educational material informing citizens of their legal rights - Amalgamate homicide and other investigations units with neighbouring municipalities - Designate time and resources for the Vic PD to increase communication with community, including homeless individuals and youth - Revitalize neighbourhood approach - Secure universal policy to avoid internal investigations - Review strategies of working with outside departments to reduce drug-related influence within the city. - Improve awareness of alternative Restorative Justice approach to conflict resolution. Communities Policing Police Policing Communities There are many split-second decisions that a law enforcement officer of any rank must make on a daily basis. There are many more decisions that are made by the Victoria Police Board, managers, officers and policy-makers. These long-term strategies and methods should be considered by members of the community before implementation in the same manner as large developments and geographical adjustments receive designated community consultation sessions in city hall. To ensure a long-term working relationship between police management, sworn members and civilians, the Vic PD should establish a community advisory committee similar to its diversity advisory committee. Ideally this committee would include representatives of street-involved and homeless people, youth, seniors and families. These new communication strategies would reduce tensions between officers and certain minority groups while improving the effectiveness of new community plans. It would address issues of the force and of citizens also, providing a controlled environment for advocacy on the behalf of concerned residents and a research resource for police. Recording the Present for Future Security Baring in mind the privacy rights of citizens, security cameras can be an incredibly cost-efficient way of boosting security and safety in the downtown core without significantly increasing a visible police presence. The city should assist in funding the implementation of community-owned, clearly designated cameras covering multiple storefronts of high-crime areas. These cameras would feature footage equally accessible by business owners, police and general residents, with immediate networking opportunities through retail outlets to prevent cerial criminal offenses. Do You Know Your Rights? Most civilians aren't aware of their legal rights, either specific to municipal by-laws or federal or provincial regulations. A simple expansion of either the Vic PD website or the City of Victoria website as well as printed information supplements and public events could provide our citizens with the knowledge necessary to act appropriately and know their rights during confrontations with police officers. This campaign would boost transparency and reduce instances of miscommunication, misconduct, and unnecessary legal involvement in dispute-resolution. Detectives Want an Integrated Workforce Every time an investigation leads into another police force's jurisdiction, there is the potential for delayed communication and a loss of plan-to-execution follow through. The current, independent homicide investigation approach to our policing may result in wasted spending, reduced abilities to share human and technological resources, and a fatal reduction in cross-region safety. Homicide and other serious investigations frequently span multiple municipalities, and our forces together, should reflect that. That is why I call on Victoria and our community partners to unite in the area of specialized detective policing, with the same benefit as witnessed with the Integrated Road Safety Unit. Police as a Resource, Not an Enemy Ensuring Victorians feel safe with their police department - their community liason officers, their civilian employees and their societal structure - plays an important role in ensuring the Vic PD is used as a resource and not a barrier or obstruction. Many citizens, especially youth and those who have had negative engagement with the law in times past, feel unsure about calling on the police force in dangerous situations and worry about being able to communicate effectively with officers. Creating a policy of having
time set aside for officers to partake in and initiate open,
friendly, engagement events is one simple solution. In order to make the most efficient
use of limited time and resources, these community events and
dialogue opportunities could also take place through alternative
spaces, such as online via public forums and support tools. It is everyone's job to build, designate, regulate and support our civic police force, and it is important that everyone feels a shared access to their services. The Return of Community Policing It's sometimes said that we
lost more than the convenience and sense of security achieved
by having small, neighbourhood police stations when the Victoria
Police moved into the central station it occupies today. Some
people believe that neighbourhoods lost a sense of self-sufficiency
and community. Statistically, there has been insufficient research
to determine if any actual loss of health or safety has come
as a result of centralization of law-enforcement services, but
it can be said as a matter of fact that a simple but disasterous
rash of problems including repeated house and vehicle break-ins,
bicycle theft and vandalism continue to plague regions without
sufficient collective monitoring or crime-fighting strategies. No One Should Have to Search Themself With the number of nearby police agencies, including branches of the RCMP, the Saanich Police, Oak Bay Police and the Sidney Police, there is no reason for internal investigations into police-related matters. These investigations are consistently considered inadequate and unreliable by third-party citizen-interest groups, regular civilians and government representatives alike. As such, it is important for the Vic PD to recognize instances where external investigations will be required regardless, and the verdict of those probes will be sufficient for tweaking police policies and maintaining internal order. A standardized process of cross-force investigation could increase the economy, efficiency and expediency of investigations into police-related issues. Restorative Justice is Here and Now A general awareness campaign is needed to promote the alternative opportunities to the court system for conflict resolution presented to suspects and offenders in Victoria. Through the Restorative Justice Society of Victoria, a proven, accomplished, volunteer-driven system of facilitating justice arrangements between victims and the accused is available immediately and for free. The Restorative Justice process has proven especially effective in reducing tension and instances of repeated crimes among youth, although most young people in the region are unaware such a system of conflict-resolution even exists.
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SECURITY & JUSTICE