From left to right: Chief Francis Lanouette, Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu,Mr. John Versluis, Constable Joy Brown, Mr. Michael Martin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 12, 2024

Peel Regional Police receives the 2024 CACP and Motorola Solutions Community Safety and Well-Being Award

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA – The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) is proud to announce the winner of an award recognizing outstanding effort and contributions to improving community safety and well-being in Canada through the process of inter- or multi-sector partnership, community mobilization, shared issue/problem ownership, shared outcomes, and shared measurement. The CACP/Motorola Solutions Community Safety & Well-Being (CSWB) Award underscores a growing commitment among government, community-based, academic and private sector organizations to think differently about human service delivery, when and how it is applied, in what configuration it is delivered, and how success is defined.

This year, the award goes to the Peel Regional Police (PRP) for their successful implementation of the Peel Autism Collaborative (PAC).

The PAC was formed in 2022 because there was a recognized need for the policing sector to do more to effectively understand, engage with, and respond to individuals with autism and their families. Based on several sub-optimal local and national interactions between individuals with autism and the police, the PRP Community Safety and Well-Being Team mobilized a wide range of partners that serve the autistic community to understand how it can better serve this important priority population. On May 1, 2023, a strategy was launched based on four key pillars: Training and Education, Community Engagement, Collaborative Service Delivery, and System Enhancements.  This strategy guides how Peel Regional Police and community partners work together to strengthen service to the autistic community.

Approximately 1-2% of the population has autism.  This figure is growing, and it is important to ensure that police agencies strive to achieve positive outcomes in all interactions with this important priority population. In an Ontario–based study conducted in 2017, it was identified that 16% of autistic individuals had an interaction with police over an 18-month period. The study found that while in almost half of the interactions the police response had a calming effect, in almost one-third of the cases the police response had the opposite effect.  (CAMH, 2017). These negative responses erode public confidence in police and make it less likely that the autistic community will reach out to police when their safety is a risk.   

The PRP wanted to participate in joint safety planning with families and service providers and to work with a Collaborative to create a pathway for CSWB referrals, as well as seek opportunities to follow-up on calls for service. The strategy not only involves online officer training to help them recognize autism indicators so they can tailor an appropriate response, but it also includes an Autism Internal Support Network (ISN) consisting of PRP members who have family members with autism, as well as in-person exchanges with persons on the autism spectrum. The strategy also led to the development of a non-crisis model of engagement to strengthen connections between officers and the autistic community, increase officer awareness of programs and services available in the community, and establish clear channels and pathways to refer individuals and families who are not connected with resources. And finally, the strategy explored opportunities to strengthen how officers receive information on vulnerable persons when responding to calls for service in order to address barriers and gaps in service in the community. The PAC was promoted throughout the region using social media, on the PRP website, a brochure, and a one-minute video.

“The Peel Autism Collaborative identified a vulnerable segment of Canada’s population with unique needs where police interactions could be improved and took action to address the gap,” stated Chief Francis Lanouette, co-chair of the CACP Crime Prevention Community Safety and Well-being (CPCSWB) Committee.  “To our knowledge, this autism strategy in policing is the first of its kind in Canada, making it most worthy of recognition through this award.”

“This strategy was inspired by the results of a study on police interactions with individuals on the autism spectrum. It is built on consultations, exchanges, and ongoing collaboration between the police and those with lived experience, including individuals living with autism and those serving the autism community who bring unique and invaluable perspectives to the work we do in policing,” added Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu, co-chair of the CACP’s CPCSWB Committee.

Mr. Michael Martin, President of Motorola Solutions Canada and sponsor of this award added that “This award celebrates the evidence-based, community-developed, and co-led success story that is the Peel Autism Collaborative. This an excellent example of progressive public safety in action, and we are proud to sponsor an award that aligns with our philosophy that ‘safety is the prerequisite for possibility’ leading to opportunities for connections and progress.”

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For further information or to arrange a media interview, please contact:

Natalie Wright
Communications Manager
communications@cacp.ca
613.838.8807

www.cacp.ca