Throughout the week, police agencies and their community partners across Ontario are recognizing Crime Prevention Week. This year’s theme, ‘Protecting Ontario Together,’ highlights how everyone can play an important role in preventing crime and building a safer community. North Bay deputy police chief Robert Norman said crime prevention requires collaboration among police, government, community organizations, businesses and residents. “It takes every facet that we are true guardians of a community, to make sure that we are protecting the community so that everybody feels safe,” Norman said. The focus this year is on five priorities: retail crime, social disorder, hate crime, cybercrime and intimate partner violence. Jeff Horncastle, spokesperson for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, said that since 2021, Canadians have reported “nearly $3.5 billion in losses to fraud.” “Fraudsters are using technology alongside psychological manipulation to exploit trust, fear and urgency,” Horncastle said. “When we’re looking at fraud and cybercrime in general, there always seems to be a sense of urgency. Criminals (and) bad actors want you to act very quickly. They don’t want you to have time to discuss it with somebody else or a friend or family member. That’s exactly what you should be doing.” Kathleen Jodouin, executive director of Victim Services of Nipissing District, said it’s time to lobby all levels of government for better resources and support. “We do have a number of local shelters who do incredible work in our community; however, those beds are often chronically full or overfull,” Jodouin said. “Then you have the issue of lack of affordable housing, which means it’s more difficult for victim survivors to find safe, appropriate affordable housing to move themselves and their children into, which backlogs the system.” Following municipal elections, she said people need to think about advocating for “having conversations around safety” in the community. “It’s a good question to bring to our new mayors and councils about how they are allocating resources and responding to this epidemic in our communities,” she said. Police said reporting crime and sharing information can help identify patterns, start investigations and address emerging public safety concerns. “When there is awareness, that gives us an opportunity to intervene,” said Norman. “Prevention isn’t about stopping or deterring … Prevention is about knowledge and education.” As part of Crime Prevention Week, Norman will hold a ‘Coffee with a Cop’ meet-and-greet Friday morning at Twiggs Coffee Roasters on McKeown Avenue, alongside Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre and Victim Services to connect with the public to discuss community safety initiatives.
