Ideas for Getting Involved

Community Suggestion of the Month

This suggestion comes courtesy of Mayor Susan Fennell. If you have a suggestion on a way that Brampton residents can keep our city among the safest in Canada, simply e-mail us at safecity@brampton.ca

In an emergency, timely response by police, fire or ambulance becomes critical to saving lives. You can help emergency services in Brampton immensely by simply ensuring that your home's street numbers are clearly visible from the street in front of your home. Make sure that your numbers are large and not blocked by flowers, shrubs or decorations. In the evening, consider leaving your porch light on, or seal your numbers with reflective paint, so that they can be seen in the dark from the street.

Another important safety tip that you should consider is to install your street address numbers at the rear of your home as well as the front. In the event of a fire or other emergency, your neighbours to the rear of you will be able to correctly identify your home to emergency services - saving them precious time in reaching you.

It's not only safe - it's the law
By-law 134-97 regulates the numbering of buildings and lots within the City of Brampton. The by-law requires that "every owner shall affix to their property the assigned number in such a manner that it is readable from the street line, and the size of number must not be less than (4") inches in height." For more information on this by-law, you can contact the City of Brampton at (905) 874-2000.

Ideas For Individuals

Here’s just a couple of ways that you can Get Involved by doing "Just One Thing" to Keep Brampton one of Canada’s safest cities

1. Become a Safe City volunteer.
2. Become a friend to a senior living alone.
3. Make sure you have good secure locks on your doors and windows and use them.
4. In an apartment, do not let anyone enter the building unless you know them.
5. Be a Road Watch volunteer.
6. Get to know your neighbours.
7. Work with your neighbours to organize a fun event such as a street sale, BBQ or Block Party.
8. Call us and report your community safety initiative so that we can share it with others.
9. Report Criminal Activity to the Peel Regional Police and then share it with your neighbours by reporting it to Crime Alert program through the Safe City Office.
10. Get involved with the Youth Education and Safety Program if you’re 14 to 20 years old.
11. Nominate someone as a Safe City community hero.
12. Call or e-mail the Safe City office for other great ideas on how you can keep Brampton one of Canada’s safest cities.

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Ideas For Families

13. Get involved with the Neighbourhood Watch Program.
14. Become a Block Parent Family.
15. Encourage your family to report criminal or suspicious activity to the Police and then report it to the Safe City Crime Alert Program by calling, faxing or e-mailing the Safe City Office. Phone: (905) 793-5484, Fax: (905) 458-7402, safecity@city.brampton.on.ca.
16. Get to know your neighbours. You can call or e-mail the Safe City Office for free "Get to Know Your Neighbours" cards.
17. Make your street a friendly place to live.
18. Offer to help elderly neighbours with errands.
19. Host a block party.
20. Nominate someone as a Safe City community hero.
21. Practice good home security. For information on things that you can do to make your home safer, call the Safe City Office at (905) 793-5484.
22. Report suspicious activities and crimes to the police. Discuss safety concerns with neighbours and community officials.
23. Write a letter to your elected government representatives advocating improvements to a law that you feel is unsatisfactory.
24. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper voicing concerns about a safety issue or crime prevention topic.
25. Organize graffiti clean up in your community.
26. Spend time doing creative activities with your children – providing them with safety tips for around the home and while out in the community.
27. Plan a trip to Peel Children’s Safety Village with your children (call 453-3311 for more information).
28. Arrange for Safe City speakers to address residents on your street, (host a meeting at your home local school, library or community centre) about crime prevention topics such as: Home Security; How to Identify a Suspicious Person; Personal Safety Tips; Street Proofing your Children; or How to Report Crimes to the Police. Call the Safe City office for further details.
29. Set up a "buddy system" with your neighbours to watch your premises during your absences from home.
30. Organize a "Lock it or Lose it Campaign". Conduct a survey/inventory of your neighbourhood security: Are your garages a vulnerable target for thieves? Are the house numbers in your community visible?
31. Start a community Newsletter.
32. Call us and report your community safety initiative so that we can share it with others.

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Ideas For Neighbourhoods

33. Organize a Neighbourhood Watch Program in your area.
34. Become a Block Parent.
35. Hold a "fun"raiser and donate the proceeds to a Community Safety Program of your choice (click on "fun"raiser for a more detailed list of fundraising ideas).
36. Organize a neighbourhood safety workshop on any of the following topics. For more details on safety workshops available from the Peel Regional Police click on the safety workshop link:

• Home Security
• Drug Prevention
• Safety for Seniors
• Domestic Violence
• Vandalism Prevention
• Safety for Disabled Persons
• Telemarketing Fraud
• Auto Theft Prevention
• Disabled Persons
• Holiday Safety
• Drinking and Driving

37. Organize a Citizen Patrol of a problem area in your community (in cooperation with police). For details, contact the Peel Regional Police or the Safe City Office.
38. Work with your schools and community centres to make recreational opportunities available to youth in your neighbourhood.
39. Host a bike/skateboard safety rodeo for kids in your neighbourhood.
40. Organize a fun neighbourhood event. Examples include a block party, barbecue, corn roast, street sale, Canada Day celebration, etc.
41. Take action against a problem affecting your street. Form an organized neighbourhood committee to work together and make a plan of action.
42. Start a community newsletter.
43. Encourage your neighbours to report criminal incidents that they know of to the Peel Regional Police and then the Crime Alert Program.
44. Call us and report your community safety initiative so that we can share it with others.

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Ideas For Business

45. Join the Business Crime Prevention Program.
46. Link the Safe City web site to your company web site’s home page.
47. Host safety workshops for your employees or sponsor their attendance at a safety seminar. The following are just a sample of seminar topics available. For more information click on the safety workshops link.
• Personal Safety
• Computer Crime
• Internal Theft
• Robbery Prevention
• Fraud on the Internet
• Frauds and Cons
• Business Security
• Violence in the Workplace
• Safety while Travelling
• Harassment
  
48. Hold a "fun"raiser and donate the proceeds to a Community Safety Program.
49. Donate surplus goods or equipment to a Community Safety Program.
50. Practice good business security in your facility.
51. Report criminal or suspicious activity to the police, (905) 453-2121 and then call, fax or e-mail the Safe City office to report the activity on our Crime Alert Program. For more information on how you can reach us, click on the contact us link.
52. Promote safety awareness in newsletters, staff mailings and on bulletin boards.
53. Start a Mobile Alert program (call Brigitte Sayers 905-793-5484 in the Safe City Office for more details).
54. Create an event that utilizes your company’s unique skills and resources and that will make our community a safer place. For assistance contact the Safe City Office.
55. Challenge your employees to present ideas that will make their workplace safer.
56. Arrange with police to have your place of business inspected for crime prevention concerns.
57. Establish an Employee Crime Prevention Committee to conduct regular safety inspections of your business property.
58. Provide Meeting Rooms for Safe City meetings and presentations.
59. Become a sponsor or supporter of the Brampton Safe City Association or another community safety program in the community.
60. Call us and report your community safety initiative so that we can share it with others.

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Ideas For Youth Clubs and Schools

61. Encourage youth to participate in the Youth Education and Safety (YES) Program. For more information check out the programs section of this web site.
62. Host a Safe Kids’ Day where you can highlight safety topics such as:

• Bicycle/Skateboard/Rollerblading Safety
• Traffic Safety
• Block Parents Street Proofing
• Halloween Safety
• At Home Alone
  

63. Organize a Kidestrian event. For more details contact the Canadian Tire Foundation at 1-800-748-8903 for information and program materials.

64. Invite a Police Officer to speak at one of your meetings.
65. Host a community forum to teach students or club members to be alert about crime and personal safety.
66. Promote community safety in newsletter articles.
67. Link the Safe City web site to your organizations web site.
68. Start a school Crimestoppers program.
69. Challenge your club members or students to create a new and unique project that will make the community safer. Focus on a problem affecting your school or neighbourhood and try an innovative solution to solve it.
70. Develop an achievement award or badge that recognizes young people for their contribution to a safer community.
71. Adopt a Park. Please contact the Brampton Parks and Recreation Department for details at (905) 874-2300.
72. Advocate for improvements in laws that impact on young people. Write letters to elected government officials.
73. Organize after-school or summer break activities. Organize events with a local seniors group.
74. Create artwork, posters or writing projects that promote community safety (e.g. pick a theme and let participants use their imagination). Display the finished materials in your schools, local mall or community facility.
75. Explore ways to reduce student dropout rates.
76. Report all suspicious persons who visit your school or club.
77. Start a "Students Against Drunk Driving" program. For more information, contact the Canadians for Safe and Sober Driving at (905) 793-4233.
78. Start a "Safe School Council".
79. Organize "anti-litter, stamp out graffiti" projects for your school (call the Safe City Office for resources and assistance at (905) 793-5484.
80. Call us and report your community safety initiative so that we can share it with others.
    

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Ideas For Public Agencies

81. Use Agency publications and resources to promote community safety and crime prevention. Newsletter articles are available monthly from the Peel Regional Police and the Brampton Safe City Association. For more information, contact the Safe City Office at (905) 793-5484 or e-mail us at safecity@city.brampton.on.ca.
82. Encourage employees, volunteers and clients to get involved in Community Safety Programs.
83. Link to the Safe City web site from your agency’s web site home page.
84. Host a community safety forum for children.
85. Hold a "fun"raiser and donate the proceeds to a Community Safety Program of your choice.
86. Get involved with the Safe City Partnership. For details contact Brigitte Sayers at (905) 793-5484 or brigitte.sayers@city.brampton.on.ca.
87. Explore ways to network sectors of the community in cooperative projects (e.g. a service club sponsoring graffiti clean up).
88. Involve your Agency employees in identifying suspicious persons or incidents and reporting them to the police.
89. Provide employee and volunteer training in crime prevention techniques.
90. Establish an awards program for suggestions and actions that deter criminal incidents.
91. Call us and report your community safety initiative so that we can share it with others.

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Ideas For Service Groups, Community or Church Groups

92. Promote Community Safety Programs to your members.
93. Adopt a community safety concept or program as the annual theme for your group (e.g. Personal Safety for women, Child Safety, Against Drunk Driving, etc.) and then promote your chosen concept at meetings and events.
94. Host a public event to promote safety awareness (e.g. family picnic, community fair, etc.).
95. Organize a "fun"raiser and donate the proceeds to a Community Safety Program or project of your choice.
96. Challenge your members to create a project that uses their unique skills and resources to make the community a safer place.
97. Sponsor crime prevention programs and educational workshops for safety in the community.
98. Sponsor or financially support school and youth club events.
99. Use Club/Group publications and newsletters to promote community safety and crime prevention. Newsletter articles are available monthly from the Peel Regional Police and the Safe City office.
100. Call us and report your community safety initiative so that we can share it with others.

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