For Immediate Release
October 2nd, 2018
News Release: Mayor Crombie Brings Community Together to Address Crime in our City
Last week, Mayor Crombie and Chief Evans brought together over 90 members of the community including elected officials from all levels of government, the Peel Regional Police and community organizations to host Mississauga’s first-ever Community Safety Summit.
This past summer both Mississauga and the wider GTA experienced an increase in violent crime. The Mayor heard from residents that they felt unsafe and were asking what their governments could do to ensure Mississauga remains a safe place to live. Mayor Crombie knew she had to take action.
“The recent spike in violent crime, including the escalated use of handguns, this past summer was very unsettling. This is not the Mississauga I know, and I knew we needed to act. Mississauga residents deserve to feel safe in their community,” said Mayor Crombie. “After speaking with our Chief of Police, Jennifer Evans, we decided that hosting a community summit to discuss what police are seeing on the street, the nature of the crimes being committed and the work Peel Police are doing. This knowledge allows elected officials and community organizations to better understand what we can do to support the police in combatting crime in our City” added Mayor Crombie.
Key takeaways from the Community Safety Summit include:
- The need to make additional investments in early intervention efforts with high-risk youth to prevent youth violence and gang crime;
- Properly resourcing Peel Region Police and ensuring they have the tools they need to do their job effectively;
- Calling on the federal government to better collaborate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to stop the flow of illegal guns crossing the border;
- The need to better coordinate and invest in developing safe spaces for youth, including youth recreation programming and;
- The need to create an inventory of all community programs, services and grant opportunities available at all levels of government so that elected officials and community organizations can better refer at-risk individuals to services and supports in the community.
Following today’s meeting, Mayor Crombie committed to:
- Writing a letter to Ontario’s Minister of Community Corrections and Safety, Michael Tibollo urging him to act on Chief Evan’s request for additional funding to fight violent crime.
- Continuing to vote to properly resource Peel Police including ensuring they have the required number of officers on the ground.
- Writing a letter to Canada’s Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Bill Blair and the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Ralph Goodale calling for additional resources and outlining her position on the national consultation on a handgun ban. The federal government must introduce legislation that includes measures to restrict the use and availability of handguns and invoke much-needed reforms to the criminal justice system to ensure that those who have committed violent crimes are not allowed to do so again while they await trial.
- Holding meetings on community safety on an on-going basis and;
- Strike a Mayor’s Roundtable on Community Safety that will meet regularly.
The Summit concluded with participants reaffirming their commitment to public safety by signing Mayor Crombie’s Community Safety Pledge. Those who signed the pledge committed to addressing the root causes of crime and working every day to make sure Mississauga stays safe.
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For Media Inquiries:
Nicole McInerney
Senior Communications Advisor
Office of Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga
Nicole.mcinerney@mississauga.ca
