By Mike Sale
I recently visited Niagara Falls to attend an exciting conference sponsored by the Crime Prevention Committee of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP). Crime Prevention through Innovation and Technology attracted a wide variety of police leaders, practitioners, academics and related professionals to discuss emerging trends in the ever-expanding field of crime prevention.
It seems to me that the rising stars in modern policing are those who effectively embrace Robert Peel’s ancient call for crime prevention, an activity that provides the greatest measure of success in the maintenance of safe communities. The crime prevention bureau was a new concept for law enforcement agencies of the 1960s. Fifty years later, crime prevention is no longer a box on an organizational chart; crime prevention is a state of mind, a way of life, a solution to problems before they appear. Crime prevention is not the sole responsibility of the police; it’s a unified strategy with a role for everyone.
OACP and the Government of Ontario have published a timely document, Crime Prevention in Ontario: A Framework for Action. This detailed document neatly summarizes the current state of crime in Ontario, the concerns of citizens and the concepts that may drive appropriate programs to deal with modern threats to public safety.
I’m going to keep an eye on members of the OACP Crime Prevention Committee. It seems to me they’re “going places” and that their work will pave the way to some significant improvements in the lives of Ontarians in the years to come. In spite of all the challenges facing the profession, it’s a good time to be launching a police career in Ontario.
~Michael Sale served with the (Metropolitan) Toronto Police for thirty years, retiring as an Inspector after many years in public affairs and event management. He is a graduate of the 169th Session of the FBI National Academy. Mike has worked as a manager of emergency planning for the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and as a justice studies program coordinator for Humber College. He is currently a law enforcement education coordinator with American Military University and serves as the university’s representative in Canada.
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