What can we do to protect our turf? More specifically, what can city hall do to make Steinbach safer?
Council candidate Cari Penner claims it can do plenty. She says many urban centers use planning tools to help design safer communities. She maintains these tools can be very effective in creating safe communities at the planning stage, Penner stresses that they can be particularly effective in small urban centers like ours, where there is still time to guide growth before problems set in. She says City Hall can implement simple and concrete steps to reduce crime.
Cari outlines a turf perspective for Steinbach’s own safety model:
1. We See You: Better eyesight on our streets with lighting and landscaping helps us achieve natural surveillance. Potential offenders know they’re easily spotted.
2. You are in Our Place: Gates, fences, walkway placements and roadway barriers guide and limit the number of people going in or out of an area. Access control allows us to see who is entering or to signal to visitors – we live/work here.
3. You Can’t Get Away with That Here: Paving patterns and floral landscaping near building entries divide public space and private spaces and enforce the feeling of territory. You can see someone cares about the place. Potential offenders will think twice before they put themselves at greater risk here.
Penner points out these ideas are just some of the ways that cities can design with safety in mind. Crime prevention in communities can also be helped by guiding new development, she says, using planning and zoning by-laws.
Cari has no doubt that Steinbach can face the challenges of reducing crime opportunities. “But,” she emphasizes, “City Hall must do its part.”
“If elected, I would work toward developing a community crime prevention action plan. This would require leadership from city hall and include partnerships with different sectors of social and justice organizations within Steinbach. A safety audit of our City would be a great place to start. It’s our turf and we care. What we do now will either make or break crime opportunities for the future.”
