Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) was presented with the 2017 International Award for Community Policing by the Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA at their annual conference. The IACP Conference attracts over 15,000 attendees and represents police from over 146 countries internationally. The award is sponsored by Cisco Systems and is presented to a law enforcement agency that has demonstrated outstanding community policing initiatives globally.
Halton Regional Police implemented a Community Mobilization model designed to address community challenges through collaboration, prevention and proactive partnerships to mitigate risk in the community. In January 2017, HRPS launched a centralized Community Mobilization Bureau and remains at the forefront of community-based policing by continually seeking out opportunities for effective multi-sector collaboration. The HRPS has applied Community Safety and Well-Being strategies to all policing operations. Multi-sector collaborative initiatives conducted include: the Situation Table, Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team, Community Outreach and Support Team, Crisis Aftercare, Regional Diversity Engagement, Project Lifesaver, Elementary and High School Officer programs, Police Ethnic and Cultural Education program, Youth in Policing Initiative and Global Event/Local Response Program. It was the robust and ongoing exchange of information with community partners that led to the development of these specialized initiatives and strategies.
Simultaneously, HRPS and Halton Region have prepared a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan – a leading-edge, innovative approach to greater collaborative partnerships across various sectors to improve community well-being. This approach is highlighted by the Situation Table where a group of key community partners meet and address situations of elevated risk cases. The goal is to determine an approach to address and mitigate risks to community safety. Members include, but are not limited to, health, social services, housing, diversity and faith-based partners.
Some of the work that the HRPS has championed includes a Diversity Engagement Forum, which connects the Service with diverse regional partners and religious centres. Through this particular partnership, HRPS designed #PREVENT, a local response plan to significant global events. The Service also works with faith-based community partners to offer emergency planning and catalogue floor plans for buildings where people assemble, enabling rapid and coordinated incident response through in-car computers.
Project Lifesaver Halton is another collaborative initiative that HRPS, Halton Region and a private sector organization launched in January 2017. Project Lifesaver Halton is a proactive life protection program for individuals living with cognitive disorders. The program combines radio technology with a coordinated police response to assist in locating wandering and disorientated loved ones. www.haltonpolice.ca/projectlifesaver
The focus of the HRPS policing model has shifted towards a greater, regional approach to community mobilization, with our core philosophy of "One Vision, One Mission, One Team," guiding our efforts. This shift to a regional model enables the efforts of each of Halton's four municipalities to be delivered in an integrated and consistent way. This enhances the Service's ability to serve the diverse needs of the community by developing programs in partnership with community partners. These partnerships amplify the focus on operational service delivery priorities: Mental Health and Addictions, Traffic Safety, Priority Populations and Focus on Crime.
About the International Award for Community Policing
Since 1998, the IACP's International Award for Community Policing identifies and rewards best practices in community policing by recognizing police organizations that use cooperative partnerships to make local, national and global communities safer. The HRPS is being recognized as a model for improved community policing through the application of collaborative risk-driven solutions to crime and social disorder. The award for community policing includes recognition of the exemplary use of technology to enhance community-police relations.