Local crime prevention leaders from around the province are being honoured today at the annual Solicitor General Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards.

The highest honour of the day, the Anthony J. Hulme Award, went to Balwant Sanghera for his long-time commitment to making his community of Richmond a diverse, supportive and safer place to live.

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Sanghera is a recognized force in Richmond community-building and a tireless activist for multiculturalism. He is past president and director of the Richmond Multicultural Concerns Society that provides language, settlement and advocacy supports to new immigrants. He is a founding member and chairperson of the South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence, an organization that strives to raise awareness about the devastation of crime, violence and gangs. He is also active in the East Richmond Community Association and president of the Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA).

Other recipients this year include:

• A family from Vancouver that runs speed watch set-ups nearly every weekend.
• Two Kelowna high school students who created eye-catching awareness videos on key public safety issues for Crimestoppers and the RCMP.
• Organizations and individuals from around the province who work to prevent youth violence and exploitation and provide support to vulnerable communities.

Quick Facts:

• The Solicitor General's awards recognize excellence and leadership in crime prevention and community safety among children or youth, service clubs, media, businesses, local governments, community policing and individual, dedicated volunteers.
• Award recipients are selected by the Provincial Safe Communities Working Group, which is comprised of representatives from government, police and community organizations.

BACKGROUNDER

2011 Award Recipients

Kenneth M. Lemckert Community Policing Award - recognizes an individual or community group that has provided exemplary leadership in the area of community policing.

Auxiliary Constable Cindy von Kampen - Comox Valley RCMP - Courtenay

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Aux. Const. Cindy von Kampen spearheaded many strategic crime prevention partnerships in the community of Courtenay and has been the president of the Comox Valley Citizens on Patrol (COPS) program since 2007. She manages a group of 58 volunteers who average more than 15,000 hours each year and she is responsible for overseeing the Speedwatch and Stolen Auto Recovery System program. Since graduating from the RCMP Auxiliary Constable program in 2008, von Kampen consistently exceeds her 160 mandatory volunteer hours through events like Project Pride, which is aimed at educating elementary school students on the history of Canada, and Dock Watch, which provides boating safety education. She also makes herself available to speak on topics such as bullying and staying safe, issues that directly involve seniors, fraud, counterfeit currency and shoplifting.

Sgt. Mike Novakowski - Abbotsford Police, Youth Squad - Abbotsford

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After a series of gang-related homicides in 2008 and 2009, Sgt. Mike Novakowksi developed and implemented several programs to promote positive life choices to youth, their parents and the community. These campaigns included a series of posters, videos, radio commercials and school presentations to thousands of Abbotsford students from elementary school right through to secondary school. Novakowski also generated provincial anti-gang awareness through campaigns that involved speaking to more than 3,000 parents and using a seized Hummer as a rolling crime-prevention billboard.

Wael T. Audi Youth Policing Award - honours police officers who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to working with youth in their communities.

Const. Davin Turner and Const. Mark Zawadsky - Abbotsford Police - Abbotsford

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Through their work with the Abbotsford Police Department's Youth Squad, Const. Davin Turner and Const. Mark Zawadsky have been instrumental in uniting their community and eliminating a serious youth rivalry that threatened the safety of Abbotsford School District. They implemented a conflict intervention strategy in 2009 involving youth, family, friends, police, the Abbotsford Restorative Justice Action Association, the Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Crown counsel and Abbotsford Community Services to address the conflict. Over a period of many months, the intervention was successful in engaging the youth to focus on their educational goals and put the conflict behind them. Turner and Zawadsky's proactive approach represents the highest form of service to youth in the community of Abbotsford.

Const. Richard Lavallee - Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver

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In his position as Aboriginal liaison for the Vancouver Police Department, Const. Richard Lavallee has been a police liaison for the urban Aboriginal population since 2005. He serves as the primary contact for multiple Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal agencies in Vancouver and works closely with community partners to provide healthy activities for at-risk Aboriginal youth. Const. Lavallee has developed trusting relationships with youth in the Broadway Youth Resource Centre Breakfast Club, the Urban Native Youth Association, Aboriginal Youth First and the Eastside Aboriginal Space for Youth and has become a positive role model in many of their lives, among them former gang members.

Crime Prevention & Community Safety Award - Community Organization - recognizes exemplary leadership through developing innovative projects, key activities or initiatives to promote safe communities.

WISH Drop-in Centre Society - WISH Peer Safety Patrol (PSP) Program - Vancouver

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The WISH Drop-in Centre Society's Peer Safety Patrol Program (PSP) is aimed at reducing violence against women involved in street-based sex work by training and hiring them to join the safety patrol team and provide support services to their peers. The women are trained in life skills, self-care, anti-violence, self defence, situational de-escalation, communications, report-taking and safe needle collection. This innovative program not only provides skills to women; it provides support to sex workers and has a positive impact on neighbouring residents and businesses.

Ridge Meadows Youth and Justice Advocacy Association (RMYJAA) - Maple Ridge

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Since September 1994, the Ridge Meadows Youth and Justice Advocacy Association has been assisting 12- to 17-year-old youth in conflict with the law. The association works with the community, RCMP and Crown counsel to help youth recognize the harm of their actions, accept responsibility and be accountable for their offences. Through its restorative resolution program, the association promotes responsibility, reliability, and resiliency through creative education, intervention, and prevention. In the Association's 17 years of service, it has received more than 1,900 referrals and was the first association of its kind to receive direct referral from Crown counsel.

Vancouver School Board - Youth Empowered and Safe (YES), Vancouver

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Starting in 2007, the Youth Empowered and Safe (YES) project has brought together community and school resources to address key risk factors for youth, identify gaps in youth services and develop strategies in response. The YES project helped to establish a Community Assessment and Action Network with police, the City of Vancouver, community agencies and the school district. YES also collaborated with Vancouver School Board Multicultural Liaison Workers and Settlement Workers in developing and translating parent presentations and the booklet, Steering Kids Away From Gangs: What Parents Need to Know, in six languages.

As well, YES increased access for grades five to seven students to the Respect, Safety and Violence Prevention Program and developed successful student mentorship programs and groups for vulnerable youth transitioning from elementary school to high school.

Crime Prevention & Community Safety Award - Individual - honours exemplary leadership in the area of crime prevention and community safety and contributions to the development of innovative projects, key activities or initiatives to promote safe communities.

Pat Kelln - New Westminster

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Pat Kelln has worked tirelessly since 1999 to aid women who have experienced domestic violence. In 2003, Pat started the Shoe Memorial on Dec. 6 to commemorate the Montréal Massacre and female victims of violence. The annual event leaves a lasting impression, spreading awareness through the display of hundreds of pairs of women's shoes at the Vancouver Art Gallery steps. For each pair of shoes, there is a name and a date of a woman who lost her life due to violence.

Kelln has also participated in a safety audit of the New Westminster Police communications centre, authored a legal resource manual for advocates working on violence against women issues and presented at several workshops on domestic violence. She is a past director of the BC Crime Prevention Association and the BC Coalition for the Elimination of the Abuse of Seniors as well as a co-ordinator and facilitator of Disability 101.

Debby Hamilton and Sgt. Robb Daly - Vernon

Since 2009, Sgt. Robb Daly of the Vernon RCMP and Debby Hamilton, executive director of Vernon Women's Transition House Society, have been instrumental in the development of the North Okanagan Integrated Case Assessment Team (ICAT). ICAT is a wrap-around process that increases safety to victims and holds offenders accountable for their actions. It also encourages information sharing between local justice, health and community service agencies to pinpoint risk factors that can lead to serious harm for victims of domestic violence. They promote this model through workshops to regional and provincial audiences and have each contributed countless volunteer hours collaborating with communities and sharing their expertise.

Carolyn Sinclair - Surrey

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Carolyn Sinclair is a passionate advocate for those impacted by disaster, crime or trauma. She has been the executive director of Police Victim Services of British Columbia since 2000 and executive director of the BC Crime Prevention Association since 2009. She is also the managing director of the Justice Access Society for Maintaining Independence and Empowerment, deputy director of New Westminster Emergency Social Services, instructor of Forensic Anthropology at the University of the Fraser Valley, instructor of Emergency Management at the Justice Institute of British Columbia and a member of the Provincial Disaster Psychosocial Services Initiative.

Children or Youth Leadership Award - honours positive role models for children or youth in their community and encourages their active participation in crime prevention and community safety projects.

Jordan Choo and Jaci Benson - Rutland Senior Secondary, Kelowna

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As graduating students in 2010 from Rutland Senior Secondary, Jordan Choo and Jaci Benson produced three public service announcements for Crimestoppers and the Kelowna RCMP on cyber-bullying, graffiti and drug prevention awareness. Jaci and Jordan displayed professional organizational skills and commitment to the project and brought together 10 other students to assist in acting and production. Both Jordan and Jaci are now enrolled in Capilano University's Motion Picture Arts Degree program.

Local Government Award - recognizes outstanding leadership in the area of promoting and implementing crime prevention and community safety strategies within their community.

City of Surrey

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The City of Surrey has made community safety an essential priority to building health and prosperity among its citizens. In 2007, Surrey implemented a Crime Reduction Strategy that was developed in collaboration with the RCMP, over 50 community groups, members of the public and all levels of government. The comprehensive plan is designed to create innovative, community-based solutions to crime reduction and safety. The work of the last four years has resulted in many new partnerships, holistic problem-solving approaches, and progress in addressing the root causes of crime in Surrey. A comprehensive three year Progress Report (2006 - 2010 achievements) has been completed and is available online at http://www.surrey.ca/files/CRS_Progress_Report_2007-2010_FINAL.pdf.

Media Award - honours an individual's commitment for actively promoting crime prevention and community safety programs either by audio, visual, and/or written methods.

British Columbia Association of Broadcasters

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The British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) represents private television and radio broadcasters of the province and its members are proud to promote and contribute to community-building programs. Through their annual Humanitarian Award, the BCAB provides one charitable organization a year with a full 52-week advertising schedule, with significant television and radio airtime free of charge, exposing millions of people to the organization's cause. In 2010, the BCAB's Humanitarian Award winner was the Children of the Street Society for their Predator Watch campaign to combat online sexual exploitation of children and youth.

Corporate Award - honours an organization for outstanding contributions towards crime prevention and community safety strategies.

ADT Security Canada - Burnaby

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Since 1991, ADT has been offering help to victims of domestic violence across Canada. ADT has taken the initiative to fight domestic violence through its business by creating the Domestic Violence Emergency Response System (DVERS). Operating in 38 communities across Canada, DVERS provides families at high risk of domestic violence with monitored security at no charge. DVERS is co-ordinated at the local level by social service agencies, local law enforcement and ADT representatives.

Volunteer Award - honours an individual's commitment to their community through outstanding contribution towards crime prevention and community safety.

Ken Ryan - Burnaby

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Ken Ryan began volunteering in 1995 with the Burnaby police and currently sits on the Community Policing Advisory Committee. In 1996, he became a Block Watch co-ordinator and helped to double the active blocks in that community over the last 15 years. He sits on Burnaby's Anti Graffiti Committee and works with youth from eight different elementary schools as director of the Lochdale Community School Association. He also works on youth programs within Burnaby as a member of Optimist International.

Gordon and Kathleen Jones - Vancouver

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Gordon and Kathleen Jones have volunteered with the Vancouver Speed Voluntary Watch program since 1996 and 1997 respectively. Since then, they have contributed more than 4,500 volunteer hours each, conducting speed watch setups with the program almost every weekend. They have organized and conducted special training sessions for the Vancouver Police Speed Watch members and given community police office Speed Watch workshops sponsored by ICBC for more than six years. Gordon and Kathleen developed the Site Record - Traffic Analysis Report form for the Vancouver Police Department Speed Watch team.

They also helped revise the Speed Watch Operational Guide and produced the quarterly newsletter for the program. They inspire cooperation and encouragement among the members of the Vancouver Police Traffic Division and are committed to making a difference in their community.

Bill McElroy - Sooke

Bill McElroy has been a dedicated community volunteer for over 41 years and assisted with over 20 non-profit groups, most of which focus on children and families. Since 1998, McElroy has been focused on the issue of youth sexual exploitation through Save the Children Canada, the Out from the Shadows program and the International Centre to Combat Exploitation of Children. He is a past chair of the Capital Region Action Team for Sexually Exploited Youth and the treasurer of the Victoria Family Court and Youth Justice Committee where he works to promote crime prevention and raise awareness about youth and justice.

Lynn Krag - New Westminster

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Since 2001, Lynn Krag has volunteered hundreds of hours in the Victim Services program at the New Westminster Police Service. She also volunteers with Citizens' Crime Watch Patrol and at community events. Krag is trained in the areas of Crime-Free Multi-housing, Block Watch, Emergency Social Services, Speed Watch, home security and stolen auto recovery, among others.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
250 356-6961