BURNABY - Local crime prevention heroes from around British Columbia are being honoured today at the annual Ministry of Justice Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards.

Ranging in age from 11 to 88 years old, the award recipients highlight the diverse group of citizens who stand up to crime in their communities to improve safety for all British Columbians. Some of the recipients this year include:

• Eleven-year-old Josh Eisner, who launched a campaign to stop bullying at his elementary school in Coquitlam.

• The Ending Violence Association of BC and the BC Lions Football Club, which partnered to launch a campaign to combat violence against women - the first time a professional sports team in Canada has taken on the issue of violence against women.

• Abeline Stewart, a member of the Gingolx Village government, who became so concerned about the dangers of underage drinking in her community that she set up an evening foot patrol to make sure young people got home safely.

• Sowchea Elementary school in Fort St. James, which launched a traffic safety campaign after the tragic death of fellow student Nolan Alexis last year.

The highest honour of the day, the Anthony J. Hulme Award, is being awarded to Edwin Keeling for his lifetime commitment to crime prevention and his decades of service keeping communities safe in British Columbia. Since 1994, Keeling has mobilized hundreds of volunteers to set up 30 Block Watch programs on the Sunshine Coast. At 88 years of age, he continues to volunteer countless hours toward developing community safety in Sechelt and on the Sunshine Coast.

Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Justice and Attorney General -

"It is an honour to see so many citizens of British Columbia - from the young to the young-at-heart and from all walks of life - working to keep our communities safe. It is my hope that the recipients of these awards will inspire others to stand up against crime in their own communities so that families can feel safe and businesses can thrive in our province."

Staff Sergeant H.W. Berdahl, Sunshine Coast RCMP Detachment -

"Ed Keeling is a fixture at the Community Policing Office in Pender Harbour and is one of those people who give continuously and selflessly. He is one of our longest-serving volunteers and has been involved in crime prevention for decades. He is an engaging individual who is committed to both serving and sharing his wealth of knowledge for the benefit of others."

Quick Facts:

• The Ministry of Justice 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.

• The awards are a part of Crime Prevention Week in B.C., which runs from Nov. 1-7, 2012.

Learn More:

A full list of the 2012 winners of the Ministry of Justice Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards is captured in the backgrounder that follows. A detailed explanation of their accomplishments can be found at: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/crimeprevention/awards/index.htm

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961

BACKGROUNDER

2012 Award Recipients

Below is a list of the 2012 winners of the Ministry of Justice Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards. A more detailed explanation of their accomplishments can be found online at: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/crimeprevention/awards/index.htm

Edwin Keeling - Sechelt

(flickr.com)

At 88 years of age, Keeling has shown a lifelong commitment to crime prevention. During his decades of service, he has organized hundreds of volunteers to set up 30 Block Watch areas in the Sunshine Coast.

Abeline Stewart - Gingolx Village Government - Gingolx

Stewart, a member of the Gingolx Village government, became concerned about the dangers of underage drinking and reinstated an evening foot patrol to keep an eye on the community, to assist intoxicated individuals return home safely and to assist at-risk youth.

Const. Heather Brown and Const. Jose Abundo - Vancouver Police - Vancouver

(flickr.com)

Brown and Abundo of the Collingwood Community Policing Centre show their commitment to crime prevention by co-ordinating and responding to "hot spot" crime locations that impact neighbourhood residents, through a number of innovative approaches.

Const. Carrie Durocher and Const. John Davidson - Abbotsford Police - Abbotsford

(flickr.com)

Durocher and Davidson were instrumental in bringing together their community to address the issue of ecstasy in a documentary entitled 'Operation X' -- an 18-minute film that details the tragedies of the ecstasy-related deaths of two youth.

S/Sgt. Grant MacDonald - Burns Lake RCMP - Burns Lake

(flickr.com)

MacDonald's volunteer service and continued focus on youth has resulted in a 200 per cent increase in school visits by members of his detachment.

Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC) - Vancouver

(flickr.com)

EVA BC launched the 'Be More Than a Bystander' campaign in partnership with the BC Lions Football Club. The campaign focuses on the importance of people speaking up and breaking the silence surrounding violence against women -- the first time a professional sports team in Canada has tackled the issue of violence against women.

IRAYL Outreach Program - Surrey

(flickr.com)

IRAYL is a youth outreach program providing support and resources to youth who gather together on and around the Skytrain stations in Metro Vancouver. Youth outreach workers connect with youth ages 10 to 15 to build relationships and provide key resources.

The John Howard Society of North Island - Campbell River

(flickr.com)

The John Howard Society of North Island is a charitable non-profit primarily serving vulnerable youth and their families. They run a number of programs that contribute to community safety, including the Delaware Youth Internet Café and the KidStart Mentoring Program.

SisterWatch Project Committee (SWPC) - Vancouver

(flickr.com)

SWPC was created in 2010 following the death of Ashley Machiskinic in the Downtown Eastside. Initiatives include the installation of rugged "911-only" telephones in the Downtown Eastside, a telephone tip line and several proactive investigations targeting predators.

Sgt. Donovan Tait - New Aiyansh

(flickr.com)

Since joining the Nass Valley Detachment in December 2011, Tait has forged a model relationship between citizens of the Nisga'a Nation and the RCMP members stationed around the valley. Tait has worked with community and justice partners to establish alternative justice forums.

Const. Kimberly Delwisch - Smithers

In an effort to address the issue of women's safety, Delwisch started a girls group for young teens called "Girls in Forward Motion/T'et aku Nis hed ilh" (Wet'swuet'en). The program focuses on career development, education, cultural activities and self-awareness to help stop the cycle of abuse.

Ron Shonk - Keremeos

As RCMP Victim Service Co-ordinator, Shonk was instrumental in the development of the Proactive Violence Prevention Project, a grassroots effort to raise awareness and to take preventative action on domestic violence, bullying, sexual assault, date rape and elder abuse.

Sowchea Elementary school - Fort St. James

After the tragic death of Nolan Alexis in a motor vehicle accident, grades 6 and 7 students at Sowchea Elementary school organized the "Be Seen Be Safe" project to distribute reflective bracelets to every child in Fort St. James, and in the Nak'azdli, Tl'azten and Yekoochee First Nations.

Josh Eisner - Coquitlam

(flickr.com)

In 2010, as a Grade 4 student at Porter Street Elementary school, Josh Eisner spearheaded an anti-bullying initiative and showed exceptional leadership to involve every single student at his school in the multi-year campaign.

Squamish Community Policing Student Volunteers - Squamish

(flickr.com)

Avinash Bharti, Tarjoyt Bisla and Harpreet Minhas are dedicated Youth Community Policing Volunteers at the Squamish RCMP Detachment. These three volunteers regularly lend their time to various crime prevention programs including Speed Watch, Cell Phone Watch and Business Link.

Charlene Smith - Roberts Creek

When Charlene Smith was in Grade 9, she witnessed a Grade 12 student overdose on drugs in the middle of the street. She stepped in and administered CPR, saving the youth's life. Charlene then created a crime prevention program to reach every student in elementary and high school across the Sunshine Coast.

Const. Jagmeet Dandiwal and Const. Harbir Sangha, Richmond

(flickr.com)

In 2011, Dandiwal and Sangha undertook to engage the Punjabi and South Asian community by making regular appearances on Radio 1550 AM to discuss their policing careers and talk about youth gangs, bullying, identity theft and other crime-prevention topics.

BC Lions Football Club - Surrey

For the last three years, the Lions Pride program, co-ordinated by the BC Lions Football Club, has inspired youth to be active, make positive choices and excel in their lives. This outreach program targets at-risk youth and helps them to steer clear of gang involvement.

Donna Ensor - Victoria

Ensor has been volunteering with the West Shore RCMP Community Policing Section for over 10 years. She is responsible for the Keeping in Touch (KIT) Program, volunteers with Speed Watch, and is a regular supporter of RCMP community events.

Karen Bowman - Surrey

(flickr.com)

Karen Bowman founded "Drop It And Drive" in 2010, to help end distracted driving by making it as socially unacceptable as drinking and driving. Bowman volunteers at least five days a week promoting "Drop it And Drive", delivering high school presentations, corporate risk-management workshops and conducting public relations campaigns.

William Brand - Surrey

Brand has been volunteering with the Surrey RCMP since June 1994 and has logged more than 10,865 volunteer hours. Brand volunteers his time on the Speed Watch Program and volunteers Monday to Friday, often going out twice a day to assist in school zones when asked by parents, school officials or police officers.

Margo Banks - Parksville

(flickr.com)

Banks is the president of the District 69 Citizens on Patrol Society (COPS), which is a well-organized group of more than 100 volunteers split over five regions on Vancouver Island. COPS works closely with the Oceanside RCMP and patrols areas and "hot spots" identified by the RCMP.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961