City seeking public input for Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy
The City of St. John’s is seeking input and recommendations from residents and the community to aid in the development and facilitation of a new crime and violence prevention strategy. Through a funding allocation from Public Safety Canada’s Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF), the City of St. John’s will secure up to $1.83 million by March 2026. This grant will support the development and facilitation of a comprehensive crime and violence prevention strategy in collaboration with community partners and stakeholders.
The primary focus is to address the social determinants of violence and crime, particularly for children, youth, young adults, and their families. While the City does not provide direct services or programs related to public safety or crime prevention, it acts as a facilitator in developing long term strategic planning and concrete initiatives to improve community safety.
“We’re committed to making our city safer and more vibrant for everyone,” said St. John’s mayor Danny Breen. “By seeking feedback from our residents and community, we’re taking an essential step towards developing a comprehensive crime and violence prevention strategy.”
The City is interested in receiving feedback on residents’ recent experiences with violence and crime and perceptions of safety, as well as suggestions of best practices in the community, identification of service gaps, and new initiatives that could be considered. The newly established Building Safer Communities Steering Committee and City staff will review and consider feedback when developing the strategy.
A variety of tools are available to provide feedback such as:
- An online survey;
- Submit ideas on the EngageStJohns.ca project page;
- Email Engage@StJohns.ca; and/or
- Call 311 and ask to speak to a member of the project team.
Residents can also provide feedback by registering for one of the following public meetings:
- Tuesday, March 5: 6 to 7:30 p.m. – Virtual via Zoom
- Thursday, March 7: 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. – St. John’s Farmer’s Market, 245 Freshwater Road
- Tuesday, March 26: 6:30 to 8 p.m. – Foran Greene Room, City Hall
Feedback will be received until March 28, 2024.