Kelowna City Council will be receiving the first report from the mayor’s Task Force on Crime Reduction this week.
The 13-member task force has formed several recommendations for “community-driven initiatives” to reduce crime in the city.
It’s been nearly a year since the task force was created as an effort to align with council’s priority of addressing crime and safety. They have met nine times in their first year.
According to a repot headed to council on Monday, the group decided to focus on six priorities:
According to the report, members proposed ideas for specific projects and strategies to advance these priorities.
“The Task Force is recommending a set of actionable and aspirational initiatives to reduce crime and improve community well-being immediately, and into the future,” the report says.
“Should Council endorse the recommendations, staff would be directed to begin implementation of tactical recommendations achievable within existing budget targets, and to otherwise investigate implementation costs and return to Council for other, as appropriate.”
Seven recommendations, each followed by specific initiatives and projects, will be presented to city council on Monday.
That includes enhancing Business Improvement Area (BIA) community safety programs, increasing resident engagement and education in crime prevention/reduction and increasing support for treatment and recovery.
Other recommendations include:
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Partnering with regional and provincial government and non-government organizations to establish
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Through partnerships, explore the creation of a full-continuum multi-care site
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Advocate for continued follow-through on the 2022 Provincial Government Report, “Transforming Policing and Community Safety in BC”
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Continuing to advocate for measures that address repeat (property) offending and increase public confidence in the justice system
It is also being recommended that the task force be extended and reconvene in fall 2024 to review progress made.
