Regional Council adopts plan to make Mississauga a “safer and more inclusive” community
Published October 22, 2020 at 8:30 pm
Last week, Regional Council unanimously adopted Peel’s first Community Safety and Well-being (CSWB) Plan.
The plan, formed with inputs from more than 400 community members, including 25 organizations representing emergency services, school boards, health and social service providers and governments, aims to make Peel “a safer and more inclusive community.”
The initial four-year plan aims to tackle family and domestic violence, mental health and addictions, and systemic discrimination and focuses on the needs of youth and families.
Videos
“Thank you to everyone who contributed to this Community Safety and Well-being Plan. As our work shifts from planning to action, we must continue giving voice to community knowledge and experiences through a broad, inclusive effort so that, together, we will make a difference in building safe, equitable and connected communities across Peel,” said Nancy Polsinelli, Co-chair of the CSWB System Leadership Table and Commissioner of Health Services, in a statement.
Earlier this year to support the CSWB Plan, Regional Council endorsed a motion for a community-developed plan to put more Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Teams on Peel streets.
These teams partner a crisis worker from Canadian Mental Health Association – Peel Dufferin with a specially trained Peel Regional Police officer to defuse and de-escalate 911 calls for mental health crises.
“Peel Regional Police has commenced the implementation of our Community Safety and Well-being plan as a framework for everything that we do. This Plan supports a safe and healthy society through a community-based approach to address the root causes of collective issues,” said Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah, Co-chair of the CSWB System Leadership Table.
The ultimate goal of the CSWB Plan is to achieve sustainable communities where there are coordinated efforts across systems to meet the needs of our communities. Collaboration at the highest level is essential to the success of the plan; it will allow us to prioritize and address developing safety and well-being issues as they arise. To sum it up, it’s all about a safer community, together.”
In the next few weeks, CSWB Plan partners will formally sign a commitment to drive the plan forward.
Next month, in November, a campaign will launch to raise awareness of family and intimate partner violence.
The plan will create and sustain meaningful change through a variety of strategies including advocacy, communication, systems mapping, improved data collection, continued engagement and awareness and cross-sector collaboration.
Cover photo courtesy of Re/Max
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising