March 13, 2012 - Minutes
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Community Safety Committee
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Date: |
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 |
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Place: |
Anderson Room Richmond City Hall |
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Present: |
Councillor Derek Dang, Chair Councillor Linda McPhail, Vice-Chair Councillor Ken Johnston Councillor Bill McNulty |
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Absent: |
Councillor Evelina Halsey-Brandt |
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Also Present: |
Councillor Chak Au |
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Call to Order: |
The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. |
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MINUTES |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on Tuesday, February 14, 2012, be adopted as circulated. |
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CARRIED |
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NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING DATE |
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Wednesday, April 11, 2012, (tentative date) at 4:00 p.m. in the Anderson Room |
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LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DEPARTMENT |
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1. |
Restorative Justice Evaluation Report 2011 (File Ref. No. 09-5375-01) (REDMS No. 3467817 v.3) | |
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Anne Stevens, Senior Manager, Community Safety Policy & Programs, introduced Michael McCoy, Executive Director and Judy Valsonis, Director of Operations, Touchstone Family Association. | |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Mr. McCoy and Ms. Valsonis provided the following information: | |
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Richmond is acknowledged as a leader for its application of the Restorative Justice Program (RJP); |
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there is an active base of approximately ten volunteers that act as a Restorative Justice Facilitator (RJF); |
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RJF’s are asked to commit a minimum of one year to the RJP and training is provided free of charge to the volunteers; |
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the Community Accountability Panel (CAP) is a model utilized when victims are agreeable to a restorative justice approach but are unable to directly participate in a meeting with the offender; |
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a CAP is typically utilized for shoplifting cases as large retailers do not support their loss prevention officers attending Restorative Justice Forums; |
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RJPs in the lower mainland continue to face financial struggles; and |
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RJPs offered by other lower mainland local governments are also primarily funded by their respective local government. |
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The Chair requested that Mr. McCoy and Ms. Valsonis provide Council with a financial comparison of the costs associated with traditional methods of justice versus the costs associated with the employment of a restorative justice program. | |
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It was moved and seconded | |
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That the Touchstone Family Association’s Restorative Justice Performance Outcome and Evaluation Report, as attached to the staff report dated February 28, 2012 from the General Manager, Law & Community Safety, be received for information. | |
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CARRIED | |
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2. |
The Fire-Rescue Plan 2012-2015 (File Ref. No.) (REDMS No. 3236395 v.3) | |
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John McGowan, Fire Chief, Richmond Fire-Rescue (RFR), provided background information and highlighted various components of the proposed Fire-Rescue Plan 2012-2015 (the Plan). Also, he advised that the development of the Plan was a highly inclusive and collaborative process. | |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Fire Chief McGowan advised the following: | |
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a standards of response coverage and future deployment analysis would be conducted as a prelude to future service delivery considerations for apparatus, staff and fire vehicle dispatch; |
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a standards of response coverage and future deployment analysis would delve deeper than the regular cursory analysis of response times; |
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all RFR personnel were encouraged to participate in the Plan’s survey, however the survey was voluntary; |
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the development of a resource plan would allow RFR to effectively respond to growing service delivery areas throughout Richmond, particularly in the City Centre area; |
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the Fire Insurance Underwriters Ranking of RFR’s services determines how much a Richmond resident pays for fire insurance; |
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classification is expressed on a one to ten scale, with one being the highest level of public fire protection; Richmond is currently classified at a Level Three; |
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RFR has ten members dedicated to fire prevention, however on-duty members are regularly utilized for fire prevention activities such as community outreach and education; |
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RFR continually seeks the best qualified applicants for recruitment while simultaneously seeking to fill gaps in areas such as languages; |
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it is anticipated that short term goals and actions as listed in the proposed Plan be brought before Council within the calendar year; and |
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RFR does not have any concerns related to recruitment, however the cost of living in Richmond poses a challenge to members seeking to live and work in Richmond. |
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It was moved and seconded | |
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That the Fire-Rescue Plan: 2012-2015 (as attached to the report dated February 27, 2012, from the Fire Chief, Richmond Fire-Rescue) be endorsed. | |
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CARRIED | |
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3. |
Richmond Fire-Rescue – January 2012 Report (File Ref. No.) (REDMS No. 3435067 v.2) |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the Fire Chief’s report dated February 27, 2012 on Richmond Fire-Rescue’s activities for January 2012 be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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4. |
Strategic Community Investment Funds (File Ref. No. 09-5375-00) (REDMS No. 3484676 v.2) |
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Ms. Stevens provided background information and in reply to a query from Committee, she advised that the figures in Table 2 of the staff report are conservative as they are projected figures. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That Council authorize the CAO and\or the General Manager, Law and Community Safety to sign the Strategic Community Investment Funds Agreement on behalf of the City of Richmond, as outlined in the staff report dated February 29, 2012 from the General Manager, Law & Community Safety. |
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CARRIED |
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5. |
Integrated Partnership for Regional Emergency Management (IPREM) Earthquake Tabletop Exercise (File Ref. No. 09-5125-01) (REDMS No. 3478242) |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the staff report entitled “Integrated Partnership for Regional Emergency Management (IPREM) Earthquake Tabletop Exercise”, dated February 24, 2012 from the General Manager, Law & Community Safety, be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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6. |
Community Bylaws – January 2012 Activity Report (File Ref. No. 12-8060-01) (REDMS No. 3478345 v.2) |
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In reply to queries from Committee, Wayne Mercer, Manager, Community Bylaws, advised that (i) the Grease Management Program (GMP) has a dedicated bylaw officer; (ii) the GMP will be reviewed later this year and staff will collaborate with the Engineering Division in an effort to address any future grease management needs; and (iii) residents experiencing problems with wild animals are suggested to contact a pest control company. |
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Also, Mr. Mercer spoke of a recent concern regarding idling trucks along Burrows Road and noted that staff are actively enforcing the area. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report dated February 27, 2012, from the General Manager, Law & Community Safety, be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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7. |
RCMP's Monthly Report – January 2012 Activities (File Ref. No. 09-5000-01) (REDMS No. 3466989) |
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Renny Nesset, OIC, Richmond RCMP, reviewed the RCMP’s statistics for January 2012. OIC Nesset commended his members for their analysis of the currency exchange robbery suspect, which resulted in the suspect’s apprehension. |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the OIC’s report entitled “RCMP’s Monthly Report – January 2012 Activities” dated February 2, 2012, be received for information. |
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CARRIED |
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8. |
FIRE Chief Briefing (Oral Report) | |
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(i) |
Upcoming Richmond Fire-Rescue Events |
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Fire Chief McGowan spoke of an upcoming news release on accidental poisoning, noting that March 18th to March 24th is Poison Prevention Week. Also, he commented on Bike to Work Week (May 28th to June 3rd) and spoke of various opportunities to educate cyclists as well pedestrians on road safety. | |
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9. |
RCMP/OIC Briefing (Oral Report) | |
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(i) |
Downtown Community Police Office |
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OIC Nesset advised that the Downtown Community Police Office is underway and on schedule. | |
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10. |
MANAGER’S REPORT |
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None. |
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ADJOURNMENT |
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It was moved and seconded |
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That the meeting adjourn (5:02 p.m.). |
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CARRIED |
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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, March 13, 2012. |
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Councillor Derek Dang Chair |
Hanieh Berg Committee Clerk |