National Police Week: Working together to keep our communities safe
DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA (May 9, 2021) – Today marks the beginning of National Police Week – a seven-day public awareness campaign that encourages new connections between police and the communities they serve. The theme for 2021 is “Working together to keep our communities safe” and we are celebrating our role and our pride in being an important public safety partner.
Public safety involves a collaborative effort within police agencies and between police services, first responders, as well as social and community organizations. Several professionals are required to manage the risks and impacts to the health and safety of Canadians as a result of crime, natural disasters, mental illness, addiction, etc. Health and safety are essentially built on four pillars: treatment, harm reduction, enforcement, and prevention. The police take pride in their leadership and/or support role for each of these pillars. As frontline first responders, police officers are often the gateway to many community supports. Our goal is always to make that first contact meaningful and to achieve the best possible outcome.
We realize that not all police interactions successfully achieve these goals. We have heard the public demand for police reform. Know that we are listening and that we have been making changes to adapt, to be more responsive, and to better meet the needs and expectations of the communities we serve. Unlike the United States, there has been a significant shift in the focus of policing in Canada from law enforcement to community engagement and well-being, as well as proactive crime prevention that reflects true partnerships. The success of police services in Canada today depends on our ability to create, maintain, and strengthen relationships with various community partners and stakeholders.
Policing in Canada is dependent on the trust, accountability, and support of the community – these are cornerstones of our profession. This week, we wish to remind Canadians that the is listening, and that we will continue to work with you, the local government as well as various community partners and stakeholders to find opportunities and solutions that work for residents of our community when it comes to public safety. Because diversity and inclusion are our strengths, we are also committed to enhancing our recruitment, hiring and promotion processes to increase the quality of our recruits and accelerate the diversification of our organization so that we can be more representative of, and be more responsive to, the community we serve.
To learn more, visit: https://cacp.ca/national-police-week.html?mid=531
