Summary

• The City of Terrace has received a $99,000 grant to train new partners and build capacity for its Safe Community Situation Table
• The City of Terrace’s Safe Community Situation Table has been operating since January 2023
• Situation tables are community-centred with front-line workers connecting vulnerable people with preventative supports

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The successful Safe Community Situation Table in Terrace is building capacity to address complex social challenges by delivering faster access to services for people at high risk of harm, victimization or committing crime to survive.

“Situation tables support safe communities, ensuring police and front-line responders can access improved co-ordinated services for people in crisis or at risk due to mental health, addiction, brain injuries or other complex needs,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Public safety challenges are best addressed through a collaborative, co-ordinated and community-based approach, and the situation table in Terrace has demonstrated strong benefits in the community.”

The Province is providing $99,000 to support training and capacity-building, to ensure long-term success of Terrace’s Safe Community Situation Table.

The Terrace situation table launched in January 2023, and is comprised of 14 community partners and agencies, from the health, law enforcement, education, human services and non-profit sectors. The partners meet on weekly to address issues pertaining to their community, such as mental health and addictions, homelessness, poverty, violent repeat offending and survival crime.

Investing in public safety

Situation table activity since its inception highlights the complexity of client needs, as reflected in the following outcomes:

• Forty discussions about at-risk individuals or families have occurred, with eight in 2025.
• The most common risk factors for clients were health, mental health, drug misuse and housing.
• Approximately 75% of Situation Table interventions led to a client’s risk being lowered.
• On average, clients had 10 risk factors and about eight agencies were involved per intervention. 

“We are grateful for this support to retrain and bring the situation table back to Terrace,” said Sean Bujtas, mayor of Terrace. “The situation table plays a vital roll in the community, taking a proactive approach supporting individuals and families experiencing high levels of risk. Supporting people in place is key to success, this is one more resource in the community to lend that support.”

Community-centred support

Safe Community Situation Tables provide a structured, collaborative approach to managing complex or urgent circumstances by bringing together key groups and using systematic processes to mitigate risk and develop action plans to respond more effectively and efficiently to the needs of each individual. Furthermore, aggregate data analysis helps policy-makers assess gaps and risks in their local communities.

The situation tables are considered a best practice for improving community safety and well-being by enabling community front-line workers to:

• proactively identify risks through real-time information sharing
• reduce long-term demand on emergency and police resources
• leverage and co-ordinate existing community assets and relationships between health supports, victim services, and culturally safe support and services
• plan and deliver collaborative interventions before an incident occurs
• reduce increased risk in people’s lives

Quick Facts

• In February 2023, the City of Terrace received a $65,000 grant from the Province to implement a Safe Community Situation Table.
• There are 56 funded situation tables and intervention circles in B.C., and 42 of these operational, while the other 14 are being implemented.
• Since 2018, more than $3.5 million has been provided in grant funding to B.C. regions and communities to facilitate local situation tables, Indigenous intervention circles and other related initiatives.

Learn More:

For more information about Safe Community Situation Tables, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/policing-in-bc/collaborative-public-safety-program/situation-tables

For more information about ways the Province is making communities safer for everyone, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/safer-communities/