MINUTES

1.

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Tuesday, January 14^th, 2003, be adopted as circulated.

CARRIED

NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE

2.

Tuesday, March 11^th, 2003 at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room was tentatively set for the date of the next Committee meeting.  The Chair indicated that she would not be in attendance for that meeting, and the General Manager, Community Safety was requested to endeavour to find an alternate date.

DELEGATION

3.

Mr. Bob Aldcorn, Chair, Community Safety Advisory Task Force Regarding the Committees Endorsement of the Home Safe Program
(Letter:  Jan. 24/03)
 

Mr. Alcorn spoke in support of the Home Safe Program, indicating that anything which contributed to the building of neighbourhoods would be a significant benefit to the City as a whole.
 

Discussion then ensued among Committee members and the delegation on the use of existing programs, such as Blockwatch, to connect with neighbourhoods.  Advice was given that Blockwatch focussed on issues relating to security and crime, while the Home Safe program would allow the identification of pertinent neighbourhood issues, i.e. crime, traffic, and disaster preparedness, prior to the introduction of an existing program such as Blockwatch.  Further advice was given that the Home Safe program would connect neighbourhoods with a resource person for a particular concern, and was not intended to compete with, but rather support, existing programs.
 

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Chair thanked Mr. Aldcorn for his presentation.

COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION

4.

COMMUNITY SAFETY ADVISORY TASK FORCE WORK PLAN
(Report:  Dec. 2/02, File No.:  5000-01) (REDMS No. 916800)

The Manager, Divisional Programs, Shawn Issel, accompanied by Mr. Aldcorn, briefly reviewed the report with the Committee.

Discussion then ensued among Committee members, Mr. Aldcorn and staff on:

whether the work plan focussed on reaching out to neighbourhoods, and encouraged more neighbourhood participation, as well as the participation of business communities, parent advisory committees, etc.
 

the purpose of the Home Safe program as compared to Blockwatch

how twenty-four bylaw enforcement would be provided with respect to issues relating to dogs and noise
 

the goals and initiatives proposed by the Task Force and how these matters were determined.
 

During the discussion, questions were raised about traffic safety issues, and advice was given that these issues were forwarded to the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee, on which the RCMP was represented.
 

In concluding the discussion, the Chair expressed her appreciation for the work of the Committee to date, and she indicated that she looked forward to hearing the comments of the community.
 

Mr. Aldcorn, in responding to the Chairs comments, thanked Pam Portman and Shawn Issel for their valuable assistance.
 

It was moved and seconded

(1)

That the Community Safety Advisory Task Force Initiatives (as outlined in the report dated December 2^nd, 2002, from the Manager, Divisional Programs), be endorsed in principle; and

(2)

That the Community Safety Advisory Task Force undertake a program to solicit community input.

CARRIED

PARKS, RECREATION & CULTURAL SERVICES DIVISION

5.

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY TO DISCOURAGE STREET RACING
(Report:  Jan. 20/03, File No.:  6450-09) (REDMS No. 936187)

The Coordinator Youth Services, Wayne Yee, accompanied by the Manager, Community Recreation Services, David Ince, indicated that they were available to answer questions from the Committee.

Discussion ensued among Committee members and staff on:

how to reach the small percentage of youth who were causing problems

the need to develop communication strategies with messages which would promote change in attitude
 

the need to find (i) a mechanism to get information out which would appeal to the mainstream; and (ii) ways which would include some of the 4% group in the focus group
 

(Mayor Brodie entered the meeting at 4:26 p.m., during the above discussion)

the use of video trailers and multi-media production resources to reach youth

the need to move quickly to get the messages developed and sent out to the public.
 

During the discussion, information was provided that the staff committee had identified as essential, the development of an inventory on available information materials and programs which would be useful to the City's needs, prior to developing new materials which could be used to supplement what was already available.

The Chair questioned whether youth would be involved in the creation of the marketing campaign, and confirmation was provided by staff that input would be obtained from youth.  The comment was also made that while an overall communication strategy was needed, there were many things which could be accomplished by individual groups.

It was moved and seconded

That the report (dated January 20^th, 2003, from the Director, Recreation & Cultural Services), regarding Youth Involvement in the Communications Strategy to Discourage Street Racing, be received for information.

CARRIED

COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION

6.

DIVISION QUARTERLY REPORT OCTOBER TO DECEMBER, 2002
(PowerPoint Presentation.)
 

Representatives of the departments within the Community Safety Division, through a PowerPoint presentation, provided information on events and issues which occurred within their departments during the period October to December, 2002.  A copy of the PowerPoint presentation is attached as Schedule A and forms part of these minutes.

The Chair congratulated Mr. Clarke McGuire and Mr. Jeffrey Watts (both of Richmond Emergency Health Services) in being awarded the RCMP Commissioners Commendation for Bravery, for their courage, professionalism and quick thinking while providing assistance to members of the RCMP during their attempts at disarming and providing first aid to a suicidal and knife wielding man on December 2, 2000 in Richmond.

The Chair also thanked Chief Fire Prevention Officer Rick Stene for his update on fire company inspections, during which Cllr. Barnes noted that Mr. Stene had exceeded his goal by 53%.

7.

MANAGERS REPORT

(a)

the Manager, Emergency & Environmental Programs, Suzanne Bycraft, provided information on a free public presentation, sponsored by the Emergency Social Services of BC and the City, to be held on Wednesday, February 26^th, 2003.  Ms. Bycraft advised that Dr. Jack Poe, Chief of Chaplains of the Oklahoma City Police Department, and a Baptist minister, would be talking about the lessons he had learned in helping individuals and families deal with the emotional trauma that disasters left behind.

(b)

the Director, Engineering, Steve Ono, reminded the Committee that the second session of the City's Blue Sky, Green Earth & Healthy Communities Speaker Series, would take place on February 13^th, 2003 in the Council Chambers.  He indicated that internationally recognized climate change expert Dr. John Robinson would be speaking on Understanding Climate Change:  Issues and Solutions for Richmond.

(c)

Cllr. Barnes referred to the recent referral to staff regarding the RCMP 5 Year Plan, and indicated that she was seeking clarification that a number of concerns which she had would be addressed.  As a result, the following referral motion was introduced:

It was moved and seconded

That, notwithstanding Committees endorsement in principle of the 5 Year Plan, staff and the RCMP provide the Community Safety Committee with:
 

(1)

responses to the issues raised during the review of the 5 Year Plan at Community Safety Committee meetings;

(2)

those reports necessary to make decisions on the various service levels proposed in the 5 Year Plan; and

(3)

a review of the funding implications with respect to how the Committee decisions on issues in (1) and (2) above might be integrated into the City's 5 Year Financial Plan.
 

The question on the motion was not called, as discussion ensued briefly on the rationale for the referral motion, and the timing of the presentation of the reports to the Committee.  Advice was given that the detailed work generated by the initial discussions in previous Committee meetings would require approximately six months to complete.

The question on the motion was then called, and it was CARRIED.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:21 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, February 11^th, 2003.

_________________________________

_________________________________

Councillor Linda Barnes
Chair

Fran J. Ashton
Executive Assistant