Brampton Declared a Safe Community
The Safe Communities Foundation has officially designated the City of Brampton a Safe Community, the first community to receive this distinction in the Greater Toronto Area.
 The Safe Community concept was developed by the World Health Organization and is facilitated by the Safe Communities Foundation in Canada. Brampton is the 32nd community to receive the Safe Community designation.
The Brampton Safe City Partnership is a coalition of more than 20 local community groups, businesses and government organizations committed to addressing Brampton’s safety issues.
 Brampton’s Safe Community Plan, is a multifaceted injury and crime reduction strategy focusing on five key areas: children’s injuries and fire prevention safety; falls prevention for seniors; workplace safety for the construction, transportation and manufacturing sectors; road safety; and, crime reduction for residents and businesses.
“The Brampton Safe City Partnership has done a wonderful job bringing together people from all walks of life to help make Brampton a safer and healthier place to live,” said Councillor Gael Miles. “Now the citizens of Brampton can enjoy the benefits and quality of life that are characteristic of a safe community.”
Leadership in Safety
 I believe there is nothing more important than making our community a safe place for people of all ages. I have committed almost 30 years to finding ways to enhance safety for people living in Brampton. In 1983, as the Executive Director of Brampton Crime Prevention Association, I started the Neighbourhood Watch Program in Brampton. Over time, this program engaged hundreds of volunteers as Block Captains and was active in almost every neighbourhood in Brampton. It gave homeowners the opportunity to work together with police to keep their homes and families safe from crime and violence.
www.bramptonsafecity.ca
I have been a Member of the Brampton Safe City Association Board of Directors since 1989, and in this capacity provide direction and support to Safe City staff and volunteers running community safety programs. In that time, Safe City, working with more than 30 Community Partners, has grown to provide services in 8 key areas of safety: crime reduction, youth safety, children’s safety, fire safety, emergency preparedness, seniors safety, road safety and workplace safety.
As a result of the many safety programs and services in Brampton, our city was designated as a National Safe Community by the Safe Communities Foundation of Canada in 2003,
and as an International Safe Community by the World Health Organization in 2007.
I am so pleased that Brampton is now recognized as one of the world’s designated safe places.
Since 2007, I have also become an Adjudicator for the World Health Organization, helping other communities throughout North America achieve their designation as safe communities. This volunteer work gives me the opportunity to learn about great ideas and programs working in other places that we can bring back to Brampton to continue making our community safer.
 From 2000 – 2005, I had the privilege of serving as a Member of the Peel Regional Police Board, providing leadership to the hundreds of men and women working in our community. During my term with the Board, we made a number of decisions to improve the safety of the community, including: putting 1,000 more police officers on our streets; approving a new police station for Bramalea; and establishing a dedicated Traffic Unit.
In 2005, responding to an increase in traffic collisions, I became a Founding member of the Brampton Road Safety Committee, a collaboration of more than 20 agencies working together to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. Since its inception, the Road Safety Committee has been delivering safety education to drivers, and working with residents to address aggressive and dangerous driving in our community.
 Also, in an effort to reduce traffic collisions, St John Ambulance launched their Red Nose Campaign in 2009 and asked me to chair this initiative. During the holiday season, volunteers provide rides home (as well as their vehicles) for drivers who have consumed alcohol in local restaurants or night spots, and should not be driving themselves.
In 2006, I was elected the Founding Chair of the Peel Youth Violence Prevention Network. This network is bringing together more than 40 community agencies, police, and government leaders to address youth violence. In the past 4 years, we have developed a comprehensive strategy that involves youth, parents, schools, and community agencies in making our community a safe place for young people to grow up.
One of our premier achievements was the creation of a Youth Charter that declares our collective commitment to support youth in the Region of Peel . This youth charter has been embraced by the community and is now on display in more than 1,000 public buildings across the Region. We have also created a web site where young people can go to seek help when faced with threatening situations in their lives, or to share their thoughts on how we can make our community safer for other youth.
Each year, I present the Gael Miles Youth Safety Award at the annual Brampton Safe City Awards to a young person or group of youth who are contributing to the safety of others in the community.
 |
