News release: 2022 CACP/Motorola Solutions Community Safety and Well-Being Award

08/09/22 - 08/09/27

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 9, 2022

The CFSEU-BC receives the 2022 CACP/Motorola Solutions Community Safety and Well-Being Award

QUÉBEC, QUÉBEC – 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 Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) for the successful implementation of the Gang Intervention and Exiting Program (GIEP).

This program was created in 2016 after an increase in the number of police-reported gang-related violence and homicides across Canada in 2015, a trend that continued in 2016. The notable increase prompted a focus on reducing gang activity and enhancing public safety.

The GIEP provides gang intervention and exiting services to individuals who are over the age of 13 and are engaged in the gang lifestyle, with the intent of promoting, empowering, and facilitating gang exiting.

The program operates with the Lower Mainland of B.C. and utilizes a holistic case management approach in assisting gang members to lead a non-criminal, pro-social lifestyle by offering complementary services and supports based on an initial assessment of client needs, levels of risk, and ongoing case management.

The GIEP is responsible for community engagement and outreach to educate the public about the realities of gang life. The team also delivers anti-gang workshops and presentations to youth, parents, and frontline staff as well as engages in media opportunities to share the ‘End Gang Life’ message.

The GIEP aims to fill a gap in the continuum of support for gang prevention and intervention by offering several specialized services and programs, at no cost to clients, to address individual needs such as clinical counseling, skills training, employment support, tattoo removal, etc. These supports and services extend to a client’s family as well, as a significant key to success for a client is having a healthy and supportive familial network.

To date, the program has assisted 28 individuals in successfully exiting gang life which is defined by an individuals’ persistent commitment to engage in pro-social activities, desist from gang life and reduce criminogenic risk factors by participating in positive activities and programs. A cost analysis revealed a combined estimated savings of $111.2 to $226.7 million in savings to society.

The GIEP is the only police embedded/led gang intervention and exiting program in Canada and has become a model for other agencies. It has drawn the attention of other police agencies both domestically and internationally.

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

Natalie Wright
Communications Advisor
communications@cacp.ca
613.838.8807