The Voice - Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association with Jean Bota

Join VAD as we learn about the projects and resources available through the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association with Jean Bota.  Big changes are happening at their agency and we want you to know about them.

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Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

Welcome to the voice of Albertans with Disabilities podcast for January 2024. I'm Teresa Makarewich, your host and VADS program and services manager. Thank you for joining us today. Voice of Albertans with disabilities gratefully acknowledges that what we call Alberta is the traditional and ancestral territories and gathering place for the diverse indigenous people whose histories, languages and cultures continue to influence our vibrant community. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to the many First Nations Metis settlements and the six regions of the Metis nations of Alberta and Inuit who have lived and cared for these lands for generations by high. In today's podcast, I'll be talking to Jean Bota from Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association. Their website says their goal is to ensure the safety to Albertans and their communities through education and crime prevention awareness. That has been talking with local agencies to learn about resources that are available in the disability community, and I thank them for coming on the podcast with the to discuss the resources Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association provides together. We hold the power. Please welcome Jean, President of Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association. Can you take a moment and introduce yourself?

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

Thank you, Teresa. Good morning everyone. My name is Jean Bota, the president chair of the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association has held this position since 2016. Previous have been a banker. I was a municipal county councillor for two terms and and I have worked a lot with crime prevention. Well, we've, Now we define it as community safety and well-being so very, very well versed in it and I'm not blowing my own horn here, and especially in the rural areas. With, with what's needed and what isn't, So yeah, I, So I do welcome you and thank you very much for this opportunity.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

Thank you for coming on board today. I have a few questions about Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association to gather information for our listeners. So I understand there have been some changes at the organization. Can you tell us about that and who the organization is?

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

Yes, so they're, I wouldn't say they're finalized yet. They're in the process. We have been discussing with the government, provincial government over the last year on a restructuring package. We want to expand some of the roles when it comes to community safety and well-being. So we have been. Working on a proposal and actually today I want to get it. The draft has been done. It's now just it's been Word Smith, so just go through it and I'm going to have one of our other directors look at it and submit it off to the government. We felt that in 2020, let me back up here a little bit, In 2020, we did a strategic planning session and We caught, this all came about just in the middle of COVID. we planned it prior and in June, boom, there we were. So at the time, we felt crime prevention was a little too narrow for our scope. So we had a day and a half session with an outside  Facilitator. And actually it was all done on zoom and  We had all 14 board members on our side. We wanted to expand and going in go into a lot of the different communities. We understood that we dealt with urban with rural indigenous amity settlement, but we also needed to look at in the  Urban communities, the diversity, the different communities that were there, including disabilities, there's a there's a lot of stuff that's going on over. And everyone seems to we we focus on seniors and on youth and on this and that which, which is fine, that's there's nothing wrong with that but we needed to kind of go a little bit deeper with our search. So we did come away with a strategic plan. Have been working on a little bit of the plan and actually have another due to COVID and just everything that has gone on, we have another session scheduled for June of 2024 which will be held in in Edmonton so  Our restructuring will all go together with how we need to really there again come back and review our strategic plan. Who are we focusing on? What are we focusing on and how are we benefiting and educating and creating awareness within communities.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

Well, can you give  Us some history about your organization and maybe how you've changed in the past.

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

Yeah. So, Alberta Community crime prevention has been around since 1989 and it was initially Police chiefs and the government. And then they found out, wow, what a surprise that you need community involved, right? So then they that was when they changed it to Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association. So we've been around since 1989 actually the name change happened in 1990. So we've been around As that since 1990. And it's always been a diverse board. When I first came on board, I was a municipal councillor. Actually, I was told of the organization through Solicitor General at the time, which was Carsten Irby. And when I they asked me to join a few meetings and I did and   I remember saying to them you're missing a lot of people around the table like we had a lot of law enforcement. We had a lot of urban groups. But I said, where's your rural? Where's your indigenous? Where's your diversity here? So I became president in  9/20/16. And just gradually started to change the look of the organization. So because i was a county councillor, I did a couple of speeches at RMA, the Rural Municipality Conference and said, hey, you know. What we need some, we need some new board members. So then we proceeded to get some counselors. We proceeded to get some agencies, proceeded to get, we have an indigenous young lady that's on our board. So yeah, so gradually over time we have started to  The board has to reflect this province and when I first became involved it certainly it was urban, it was Calgary and Edmonton, that's great, but this province is more than just Calgary and Edmonton and so then too, what we've done is we've started to reach out to a lot of different. Organizations. One example is yourselves. How can we help you guys or how can we bring you in to maybe talk at a conference, give your give your situations to us like we just assume everything Thing is, is what it is, but when you have a disability, whatever it may be, it the world is very, very different and just a very good example of this. I have a friend who has she's she had both her legs amputated at the knees and so she has a dog. And lot of times we'll have coffee and whatever, but like she tells me about the situations where she goes to get into buildings or has appointments or whatever and. She can't. There's no ramp. There's no facilities for a wheelchair. Even in the winter, she said. When they're out for a walk with their dog, with her dog, it's just not feasible. So things that we take for granted are not always there. So I think we have to really start looking at and understanding every The different cultures and different diversities and different groups that are out there and what their challenges can be and in some cases maybe we can do, we can help with advocating, we can help with talking to the government and saying, you know what we need to, we need to do something here or. You said so that we have, you know, municipality like take at your conferences. Yeah. Like, like I say, there's a lot of things I think that we can do to showcase a. Lot of this. So it it so it has changed A lot over.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

The years what are some of the projects that you've done? In the community.

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

We have been actually one of our big projects was building capacity in rural crime prevention and that started in 2019. It was funded by the provincial government and we had. Three other partners we had reach Edmonton Canadian municipal network for crime prevention and we had. Lacombe Rural Crime Watch that were involved. So each of them bringing their own gifts to the to the project, Canadian municipal, they were the researchers. They did a lot of research. Reach Edmonton had a lot of programs that we were were able to kind of tailor and the red deer, Lacombe, Rural Crime Watch, they. Had a lot of information. They do a lot of information sessions, education sessions, so they had a lot of information as to what was going on and the idea of the of the project was I had talked to Jan Fox. When? Ohh we were at a conference and I had said to her. We're talking about crime, but what are we talking about? Right. What are we really talking about? And and I said specifically rural crime. What? What? What are we talking about? So we put we had a she had a young student come from Spain that was looking for a project to come here. So we had we lined her up and she. We try to find a little bit of research, there's not a lot of research other than magazine and newspaper clippings, stuff like that. So we put the proposal together and we submitted it and were approved. So we quickly gathered an advisory committee and these were your decision makers. And then we had, pardon me, a steering committee. And then we had an advisory committee, so we had representation from a lot of different communities. We had five pilot sites that we were given by the RCMP. They were picked on high crime severity, sometimes remote or remote, rural or rural community. And close proximity to an urban center and sometimes close proximity to an indigenous Naty settlement community. So the objective of the project was to have one of the pilot sites do a Community safety and well-being plan. Which was done with bicycle. They did community safety and well-being planned. They were they were like little shining stars. So yeah, so we we finished that in December of 2020. There was an evaluation done on it. Actually the evaluation was. Presented to the University of Victoria, because the evaluator was doing her masters in community planning, so it was quite interesting to watch the panel and the questions because this was an this to me this was a thought and then the thought turned into actual actually being a project. And yeah, I was quite, quite proud of it. And we've been working a lot too, Teresa with the University of Calgary. So they've been doing some. Helping us with some projects on volume. Peers how to get volunteers, how to retain volunteers? Grant writing, looking for different types of grants. And actually we have another project going with them right now. We initially called it the rebranding project, but when we spoke to them our little committee, it was a repositioning project, so. What? What are we? How? Are we being viewed in the bigger picture in the province, so they're going to do some environmental scans and and some different things like that? It's free of charge because the students, these are marketing students, so there's no cost to it, but it it also creates that awareness of who we are, what we're doing, what else is in the province and also it. It helps us. Yeah. So that's kind of where our projects. Are right now.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

Share your thoughts on how the Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association contributes to the disability community. To help better people's lives.

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

You know, to be honest with you, I think this is just something we've started to get into. We became a member of your organization, I I believe. A year ago, it is. And actually when we talked to the youth see students, it was something. It wasn't me that brought it up. It was one of our other committee members that said, hey, don't forget about the disability community because there's a lot of disability. There's a lot of different disabilities. So I do believe. We have a lot of work to do in that realm and like I say, I am looking forward to seeing what we can do and. Help you guys with all your stuff. Yeah, but like I say, and that was the reason for us joining or becoming a member is to kind of get the newsletters, find out what's going on out there and keep in touch with with everybody. And I will say by the way those newsletters, I think they're quite interesting myself very interesting. And and this is another thing disability. It doesn't just it's not just in your urban areas like it's it's in your rural areas as well. So and and sometimes and this is what I've found out too is you're indigenous communities, right? Like there's disabilities. So yeah, there. Just it's just something that we need to talk more about.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

I agree, and it would be a great collaboration. Resources going both directions.

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

Yeah, exactly.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

Can you tell everyone how to get a hold of Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association?

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

You can go on our website, www.albertacrimeprevention.ca and there's a connect place that you connect through there or you can. Get in touch with me president at albertacrimeprevention.com, which is also I have no problems. With that, I prefer. For that, because then I can just redirect it on to whoever and and whatever. So and I I do want to just say our conference is coming up this year, it's in Calgary, our theme this year is pathways to safer communities, Wellness and resilience in times of change. So what I can do actually we just started. We just went live on Friday. So what? I'll maybe do Teresa send you a poster? If if you don't mind posting it and and then, like I say, I will keep you up to date. As to our repositioning project as well. As to where we're going with that, what's happening with it?

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

What is an interesting fact about your organization that everyone should know?

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

Ohh, an interesting fact. We signed a memorandum of understanding with the RCMP. K Division in June of this past year, which I thought was an exciting step based on where they're going with their. Community safety and well-being, they have a branch. It's called community safety and well-being came about initially September of 2022, which I think is very. I'm quite proud of this. So in Alberta we are the only Community safety and well-being branch with with the RCMP. We're the only one in Canada, so right now we are being watched so. With us to sign a memorandum of understanding because they. Saw how we were. Getting out into a lot of the different communities and starting to explore what what was really Alberta. Yeah, they they asked if we would be interested in memorandum of understanding so. So that that's an interesting fact and it is, we are the only one in Canada and actually I was talking to a lady from Ottawa, one of their commanders. This would have been a year ago in November and. She said to me that she said the work you guys are doing in the province is is being watched. So because she said we'd like to replicate it throughout the the nation. So I think that's an interesting fact. And I think it's a feather in our caps for for everybody that's were and that was a lot of hard work to get that moving so. And it wasn't just one or two people, it was, it was ourselves. And there was even our project. There was a lot of work that was done with that. So yeah, that's an interesting fact.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

Thank you for your time and energy today, Gene. Your support to.

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

No problem.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

The community is a valuable it's valuable to all. Is there anything else you want to say? Today that I haven't asked you about.

Jean Bota, President ACCPA

No, I would. I just want to say thank you again, Teresa, I really appreciate appreciate the time. We will keep you guys posted with the repositioning. They're again when they're doing environmental scans. I think you guys have your group has a lot to offer because you based on your newsletters. What I'm seeing you speak for a lot of people out there in the province. So no, I just wanna thank you very. Much for the. Opportunity. I think this was I I really. Enjoy podcast. Us they reach a lot of people and it also informs and educates a lot of people. So thank you again.

Teresa Makarewich, Program & Services Manager, VAD

You're welcome. So thank you again for joining VAD's podcasts, voice of Albertans with disability is across disability nonprofit organization of and for people with disabilities. We are guided by the principles of accessibility, equity and inclusion. Learn about our services on our website at vadsociety.ca. Call us at 780-488-9088 For more information. If you have a topic you'd like to hear more about, please e-mail myself at vad@vadsociety.ca with topic ideas, speaker suggestions, or your feedback. Signing off for the day together, we hold the power.