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Chapter Essential Questions:
- What should be included in community safety plans, and how are they implemented during emergencies?
- Should community members be informed about safety plans, and how?
- How can prevention be accomplished, and what types of incidents can be prevented?
- How does taking preventative measures enhance community safety?
- Why does partnering with local agencies like health clinics, police, and fire departments enhance community safety, and what can communities without these agencies do to secure their communities?
- What resources and funding are available to support First Nation communities for safety?
- What requirements can you implement in your community to establish more effective standards for safety?
- How is a safety proposal written?
Lesson 1 : Community Safety Plan (CSP)
Outcomes
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Describe what a community safety plan (CSP) is, what is included in it and what it is used for;
- Discuss how to share community safety plans with community members and stakeholders;
- Identify good community safety plan features;
- Explain how a community safety plan is addressing specific community-based safety needs and concerns;
- Explain how a community safety plan reduces risk.
What is a Community Safety Plan (CSP)?
A CSP is an action plan focused on proactive actions to reduce risk, vulnerability and harm in our community. It is a multi-agency partnership that aims to build a more comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach to the complex issues that impact safety. The plan is aimed at addressing underlying causes of criminal behaviour and identifies community strengths, assets and safety wellness goals. The CSP is complemented with annual work plans which are regularly assessed and updated to respond to changing needs and demands.
An effective CSP framework includes:
- Aligning relevant community stakeholders, systems and partners;
- Creating conditions where everyone is safe, has a sense of belonging, and everyone has access to services;
- Ensuring individuals and families can meet their needs for education, health care, food, housing, income, and social and cultural expression;
- Identifying and validating community safety issues and priorities;
- Discovering local assets and identifying risk factors underlying local community safety issues;
- Outlining tangible, evidence-based actions taken through multi-system and agency approaches;
- Creating new ways of measuring, monitoring and reporting progress
Community Safety Plans Communication
A community safety plan is usually shared with community members through various channels, such as:
- Public meetings and consultations, where community members can provide input and feedback on the plan, and learn about the roles and responsibilities of different partners and stakeholders.
- Online platforms including websites, social media, newsletters, and blogs, where community members can access the plan, get updates on the progress and outcomes, and participate in discussions and surveys.
- Community events and activities, such as workshops, forums, fairs, and campaigns, where community members can share the implementation of the plan, learn about the available resources and services, and celebrate the achievements and successes.
Community Safety Plans Reduce Risk
Community Safety Plans identify and prioritize local risks, followed by the integrated and strategic investment of resources to reduce their occurrence and impact. It is a process to help communities find out what their risks are and develop a plan to reduce the risks viewed as high priority.
The Community Safety Plan identifies, prioritizes, and defines the risks that pertain to the overall community. This results in a full understanding of the community’s unique risks, capabilities, and characteristics.
Community safety plans are a crucial component in reducing risks in a community. These plans involve collaborating with various stakeholders such as law enforcement agencies, healthcare providers, first responders, community leaders, and residents to identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. By having a plan in place, communities are better prepared to respond to emergencies and prevent incidents from occurring. Community safety plans also provide a platform for individuals to voice their concerns and contribute to the decision-making process, which increases buy-in and compliance from community members.
An effective community safety plan involves identifying potential risks, assessing their impact, and devising strategies to reduce or eliminate them. For example, a community safety plan may address issues such as crime, natural disasters, or public health concerns. By identifying potential risks and prioritizing them based on their likelihood and severity, a community can allocate resources and coordinate efforts to prevent incidents from occurring. This can include measures such as enhancing infrastructure or establishing protocols for emergency response. A community safety plan also provides a framework for ongoing monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the strategies remain relevant and effective over time.
Journal Prompt
Using the forum labelled “Course 12: Lesson 1,” make a journal entry responding to the prompt below. Ensure that you title the entry “Lesson 1”. After writing a journal entry, go and make a comment on two other posts from your classmates. It can be about anything you noticed, liked, agreed with etc. The idea is to continue the dialogue about the topic.
Prompt: In your opinion, what are the key elements of an effective community safety plan?
How can communication strategies be integrated into these plans to make them more accessible and understandable for all members of a diverse community?
*View the journal entry and journal comment rubric to see how they will be marked.
| Criteria | Exemplary 4 |
Accomplished 3 |
Developing 2 |
Beginning 1 |
| Purpose | Strong voice and tone that clearly addresses the purpose for writing. | Appropriate voice and tone. The purpose is largely clear. | Attempts to use personal voice and tone. Somewhat addresses the intended purpose. | Demonstrates limited awareness of use of voice and tone. Limited evidence of intended purpose. |
| Understanding | Many interesting, specific facts and ideas are included. | Many facts and ideas are included. | Some facts and ideas are included. | Few facts and ideas are included. |
| Conventions | All grammar and spelling is correct. | Only one or two grammar and spelling errors. | A few grammar and spelling errors. | Many grammar and spelling errors. |
| Reply | Made two significant contributions to the online forum. Highly supportive of others. | Made one contribution to the online forum. Supported group members. | Attempted to contribute to online forum but was vague and unclear in the writing. | Minimally involved. Offered limited support to online group members. |
Mapping Your Journey
“Mapping My Journey” is a reflective cumulative exercise where you’ll craft a detailed document charting your experiences throughout this course. Beginning with your initial expectations, you’ll move through significant learning moments, discuss challenges, draw personal connections, and envision future applications of the knowledge gained. This isn’t just about recounting experiences; it’s about deep introspection, connecting with the course content, and pinpointing areas of personal growth. Your submission will also offer feedback on the course structure and delivery, playing a role in its refinement for future cohorts. This task serves as both a showcase of your learning journey and an exploration into how this course has influenced your perspectives. Dive deep, and happy reflecting!
References
City of Toronto. (2022, January 31). Safe to: A community safety & well-being plan. https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-programs/community-safety-well-being-plan/
Community safety plan | city of Kelowna. (n.d.-a). https://www.kelowna.ca/city-services/safety-emergency-services/community-safety-plan
Community risk reduction (CRR). NFPA. (n.d.). https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Resources/Community-Risk-Reduction
Framing community safety: Guidance for effective communication. (n.d.). https://preventioninstitute.org/sites/default/files/publications/AECF-Community-Safety-messaging-guide.pdf