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Hobbs hopes new award helps get citizens more involved

The mayor wants the community to get more involved in crime prevention. That’s why the city is holding its first Mayor’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards Nov. 7.

The mayor wants the community to get more involved in crime prevention.

That’s why the city is holding its first Mayor’s Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards Nov. 7. Featuring seven categories, the awards will highlight individuals, businesses and even media that help make the community safer and raise awareness on crime issues.

Mayor Keith Hobbs, a former police officer himself, said he believes the city and its police force are on the same page when it comes to crime prevention strategy.

"I would like to see our city get back to more of a community based policing type rather than the intelligence based policing that we’ve seen," Hobbs said.

The mayor points to Ogden’s Evergreen neighbourhood as an example of a community making their area a safer place to live. Extra eyes on the street as part of the neighbourhood’s walk program can help deter crime.

"That’s had a real big impact on crime in that neighbourhood so if we can engage the people that live in their own neighbourhoods and have them more alert…that can go a long way to making their own neighbourhoods safer," Hobbs said.

Some of the awards feature a cash prize of up to $1,000.

"You need a little incentive sometimes to get people moving," the mayor added.

The city is also hoping the awards will engage youth.

"Sometimes youth get a bad rap and youth can maybe get engaged in helping out with crime issues rather than creating them," Hobbs said.

There is a community hero award, a business award, a media award, an education award, a youth leadership award, an enforcement professional award and an outstanding community project award.

 For more information and nomination forms, which are accepted until Oct. 13, visit http://www.thunderbay.ca/crimeprevention.
 





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