On January 1, 2019 The Government of Ontario mandated municipalities under the Safer Ontario Act, 2018 to prepare and adopt a Community Safety and Well-being Plan (CSWBP) using the provincial government’s Community Safety and Well-Being Framework. As part of these legislative changes, municipalities are required to work in partnership with police services, health/mental health, education, community/social services and children/youth services as they undertake the planning process. Municipalities have the discretion and flexibility to develop joint plans with surrounding municipalities or First Nation communities [s. 143(2)]. This new legislative requirement came into force on January 1, 2019 [s. 143(2)]. Additional legislative requirements related to the CSWBP process include:
• Establishing a multi-sector advisory committee [s. 145(3)].
• Conducting consultations with the advisory committee, members of the public, including youth, members of racialized groups and of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, as well as community organizations that represent these groups [s. 145(6)].
Contents of the plan must include [s. 146]:
• Identifying priority risk factors (e.g. including, but not limited to, systemic discrimination and other social factors that contribute to crime, victimization, addiction, drug overdose and suicide);
• Identifying strategies to reduce the prioritized risk factors (e.g. new services, changing/coordinating existing services);
• Setting measurable outcomes. There are also requirements to publish a completed CSWBP – online, in print for review by anyone who requests it, and in any other manner or form determined by the municipality – within 30 days after adopting the plan [s. 149(2), O. Reg. 527/18]. Originally, all municipalities were to have completed and adopted their plans by January 2021, however the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed that deadline to July 1 of this year. The aim of the Community Safety and Well-Being plan is to ensure all residents in the community feel safe, has a sense of belonging and can meet their needs for education, healthcare, food, housing, income, and social and cultural expression.

In 2018, the seven (7) municipal governments in North Hastings agreed to work collaboratively on a regional plan. Our plan is a three year collaborative commitment to address priority risk factors and improve the safety and well-being of all.
Representatives from 30 organizations from across North Hastings shared data, insights, and anecdotes. Two hundred and ninety (290) adults completed the North Hastings Community Safety and Well-being (NHCSWB) Survey. Twenty-three (23) youth responded to the NHCSWB Under 16 survey. Thirty-two (32) youth also participated in CSWB focus groups. In addition, town halls were held across the region, and dozens of interviews were held with residents and experts.

The purpose of the NHCSWB Plan is to detail a strategy to direct public policy, social programs and resources, and community awareness, interests and activities to where they can be most effective in increasing public safety, improving health and well-being, and reducing crime, disorder and social isolation in the area.
Based on local data, and community consultation three priority areas were identified in North Hastings; Poverty, Mental Health and Addictions, and Housing.  Priorities were selected based upon their frequency of mention in community and advisor consultations, local data, rate of occurrence, their level of community impact, and building upon current successes.
This is the first regional community safety and well-being plan. Our planning has involved a great deal of care, consideration, and effort with the goal of making North Hastings a healthier and safer place to live. This is a three-year plan to be reviewed annually. Ongoing municipal communication and cooperation are needed to ensure the plan’s success. Accordingly, the CSWB Coordinating Committee will continue meeting regularly to assess progress and make amendments where necessary. In addition, the advisory committee will meet twice annually to share their insights and evaluations.
To ensure that the burden of responsibility does not solely fall on municipalities and that residents, local experts, and organizations are actively involved, the Coordinating Committee will recruit and guide small action committees for each priority concern. Potential participants are listed throughout the Plan. The Coordinating Committee will empower each action team to identify and recruit local and County organizations to assist in the promotion of protective factors. The action teams will convene to develop implementation strategies to address action items by way of an implementation plan.

North Hastings Community Safety and Well-Being Plan

NORTH HASTINGS

• Bancroft Community Transit – Grocery shopping and delivery
• CARE North Hastings – Growth and Outreach
• North Hastings Children’s Services – Our Shared Commitment – Healthy Food & Wellness Program – YOURSPACE
• North Hastings Community Cupboard – Food Bank
• Central Hastings Support Network – Transit, Food Bank, Resources
• Tri Township Food Basket – Food Bank (5526B Hwy 620,Coe Hill, Phone: 613-337-8616)
• North Hastings Community Trust – Emergency and Sustainable Solutions to Poverty
• Sexual Assault Centre for Quinte District – North Hastings Counsellor

HASTINGS AND PRINCE EDWARD COUNTIES

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties – One-to-One Mentoring Program
• Brain Injury Association Quinte District – Artistic Expression Program – Social Recreation Program
• Canadian Hearing Society – General Support Services
• Community Development Council – Good Baby Box – Good Food Box
• Girls Inc. of Limestone, Algonquin and Lakeshore – Girls Ed
• John Howard Society of Belleville and District – Youth Wellness Hub – QUANTUM program
• Volunteer + Info HPE (aka VIQ) – Volunteer Recruitment & Referral
• Youth Habilitation Quinte – Hastings Housing Resource Centre
• 211 Ontario – 211
• Addictions and Mental Health Services – Hastings Prince Edward 
• United Way – associated agencies
• Housing Services – Hastings County
• Hastings Housing Resource Centre – assistance to secure housing
• Community Advocacy & Legal Centre – legal assistance

FURTHER RESOURSES & SERVICES AVAILABLE

• Métis Nation of Ontario

• Contact for programs available to Help when you need it. Contacts

What is it?

Camsafe is a CCTV and security video registry aimed at keeping our community safe and assisting police solve crime.

Think of it like Neighbourhood Watch 2.0.

The program is set up to be a registry of anyone who owns security cameras, CCTV systems or doorbell cams in the City of Belleville. Only police have access to the database of registrants. Camsafe only requests basic contact information and camera locations – nothing else. No account information or specifics required. And you can change or delete your information at any time.

All this program is aimed at doing is providing a starting point for police officers to find video footage to assist an investigation.

For example, if there was a break and enter to a home on a city street, the investigating officer can log onto Camsafe and much like Google Maps, geofence an area and see if there are anyone who has registered a camera in the area. From that point, the officer – using the contact information provided – would request the footage from the owner.

A wee little bit of history

Inspired by similar projects in Red Deer Alberta (reddeercapture.ca) and in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia (safecam.phillypolice.com), Camsafe sought to bring a registry to the next level through community sponsorship and integration.

In 2020, Alarm Systems (alarmsys.com) partnered with Belleville Police (police.belleville.on.ca) and leading-edge web designers Floating Point (floating-point.com) to develop a separate, innovative website to house the initiative.

In early 2021 as the project set to launch, partnerships were developed with government agencies and commercial businesses to ensure registered locations of cameras encompassed all regions and areas of the municipality.

Partnerships aside, the success of Camsafe is built on the participation of the residents of Belleville – so please, if you have security cameras in your home, consider registering your contact information. In the coming year, Camsafe is looking to expand to all regions of Hastings and Prince Edward counties – offering up a website of video coverage to keep our community safe and solve crime.

For more information about Camsafe or how you could partner with us, please contact us.