Crime is on the rise in Kelowna, B.C. To flatten the curve, city council has approved Kelowna’s first Community Safety Plan that will take a different approach to reducing risk, vulnerability and harm in Kelowna.
The C.S.P. is a five-year action proactive plan that takes a collaborative, multi-sectoral approach to preventing crime in the city.
The C.S.P. is a collaboration between the First Nations Health Authority, Kelowna RCMP, Interior Health, the Ministry of Children & Family Development, the Ministry of Social Development & Poverty Reduction, and School District #23.
“I think this reflects us becoming more thoughtful, more research-based and more deliberate in understanding crime and the underlying issues of crime in Kelowna,” said Darren Caul, Community Safety director.
There has been a steady increase in crime in the Central Okanagan for years, climbing the ranks of Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index. Currently, Kelowna is ranked third overall in the 2020 report. Lethbridge, Alta., is second and Winnipeg is third.
Kelowna was ranked fourth in 2019.
The report is released annually and measures the severity of police-reported violations, including traffic offences, with serious crimes given more weight.
The C.S.P. plans to tackle crime prevention, intervention and safety, domestic violence, housing and homelessness, mental health and problematic substance use as well as racism and discrimination.
“That is a large list of priorities,” said Caul.
“They reflect the range of challenges and they also really reflect the complexity of crime and the complexity of vulnerability for individuals who either fall into this pathway to criminality, or to being victims of crime.”
Part of the plan is to create alternative community-based response teams to attend to crisis calls such as mental health issues that RCMP now responds to.
“It has been my honour to work with our community to develop a plan that’s primary focus is to prevent crime and victimization and to increase community safety and individual well-being,” said Kara Triance, Kelowna RCMP Superintendent in a press release.
“When we work together to address social support, health responses and trauma prevention before individuals need risk intervention, we are truly strengthening our community and a sense of safety for all.”
Another objective is to reduce crime by getting down to root causes through early intervention with the help of School District 23.
“Think about what we could be doing with kids who are in grades 5,6,7,” said Caul.
Caul says Kelowna if one of a few cities in Western Canada to create a C.S.P. and hopes to create a safer future for Kelowna and its residents.
To read the full plan visit www.kelowna.ca
— with files from Doyle Potenteau
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