Hello Ward 8 Neighbours,
Hamilton is revising its existing Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan and Engage Hamilton wants to hear from you. The CSWB Plan brings together multiple sectors, including social services, health care, law enforcement, education and community organizations to address the root causes of community safety and well-being.
For more details, please continue reading below…
Hamilton’s CSWB Plan was developed by the City of Hamilton and community partners and was unanimously adopted by Hamilton City Council on June 23, 2021. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act,2019(External link) municipalities are required to develop a CSWB Plan using the provincial government’s CSWB Framework(External link).
The CSWB Plan aims to create a sustainable community where everyone feels safe, has a sense of belonging and can access the services they need. It focuses on four key areas:
- Social development: Improving the social determinants of health and reducing the probability of harm.
- Prevention: Implementing proactive programs to address risks before they result in crime, harm, or victimization.
- Risk intervention: Reducing the need for incident response by preventing issues before they occur.
- Incident response: Providing immediate responses to urgent situations.
The CSWB Plan is designed to enhance safety and well-being in Hamilton by collaboratively addressing key social challenges.
Why is the CSWB Plan being revised?
As of April 1, 2024, the Community Safety and Well-Being Planning – Review and Revision regulation under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019(External link)mandates that municipalities review and if necessary, revise their plans every four years. Hamilton must submit its revised plan to the Ministry of the Solicitor General by July 1, 2025.
Current CSWB Plan Priorities
Community partners identified six local priorities for further investigation and collaboration that are included in Hamilton’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.
These priorities are:
- hate incidents
- violence
- mental health and stigmatization
- substance use
- homelessness and access to affordable housing
- access to income
Next steps
Your feedback will directly shape the revision of the CSWB Plan by helping the City:
- Address key challenges: such as reducing hate incidents, lowering violent crime rates, improving mental health, reducing stigma, mitigating substance use, addressing housing and homelessness and enhancing access to income.
- Refine priorities: We’ll use your input to confirm whether existing priorities are still important and identify any new or emerging issues that need attention.
- Identify gaps: Your insights will help us evaluate the current CSWB model, determine what’s working well and highlight areas for improvement.
Your ideas will inform the strategies and actions in the revised plan. Hamilton must submit its revised plan to the Ministry of the Solicitor General by July 1, 2025.
For more details about the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Review visit https://engage.hamilton.ca/safetyandwellbeing, and to take the survey please visit https://engage.hamilton.ca/safetyandwellbeing/surveys/cswb-plan-survey.
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our office here.