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Winners and Nominees
2004 Award Winners
Nominees for 2004 Award
Video of Award Winners and Runners-up for 2004
(Information on Video Streaming Technology)
Transcript of video
List of Winners
2004 Award Winners
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The Department of Justice, in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, is pleased to present the winner, runners-up, and nominees for the fifth annual Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award. The award recognizes the efforts of police officers who undertake their work in a manner that reflects, promotes, and is consistent with the spirit and goals of the government's initiative to renew youth justice in Canada.
The following factors were taken into account in selecting the winner and runners up:
- 1. Innovation and creativity in dealing with youth who have come in conflict with the law.
- The development and/or effective use of one or more of the following:
- police discretion at the front end of the youth justice process;
- conferencing as a means of assisting in decision-making throughout one or more parts of the youth justice process;
- community-based alternatives to the formal court process or custody; and
- rehabilitation and reintegration of youth through positive police/youth activities.
- The accomplishment of one or more of the following goals:
- fostering respect for societal values;
- emphasizing responsibility to the victim and the community;
- helping young people understand the impact of their actions;
- allowing young persons to make the connection between the offence and its consequences;
- encouraging the involvement of parents, families and the community in the rehabilitation and reintegration of youth;
- assisting particularly disadvantaged groups or communities; and
- increasing community involvement in the youth justice system.
- Efforts by police to assist children under the age of twelve who offend.
For this year's award, 25 nominations were received from police services and individuals across Canada. This booklet celebrates the efforts of all the nominees, and informs others in the police and wider community about their exemplary achievements.
Winner
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Corporal Brian Foote
RCMP, Mission Detachment
Certificates of Distinction
Sergeant David Jacob Harty
Calgary Police Service
Constable Dean Roy
Durham Regional Police Service
Honourable Mentions
Community Resources Unit
Lethbridge Regional Police Service
Constable Dameon Okposio
Peel Regional Police
Constable Dave Dickson
Vancouver Police Department
NOMINEES for 2004 Award
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(by police service, in alphabetical order)
Sylvie Mantha, Criminologist
Gatineau Police Service
Sergeant Nancy Goodes-Ritchie
Hamilton Police Service
Sergeant Jacques Bisson
Montreal Police Service
Sergeant Martin Dea and Constable Jacques Châles
Montreal Police Service
Staff Sergeant Robert Wright
Niagara Regional Police Service
Constable Linda Kennedy
Ontario Provincial Police
Constable Jacques Carrière
Ottawa Police Service
Constable Steven Gloade
RCMP- Baddeck, First Nations Community Policing /p>
Problem Oriented Policing Section (POPS)
RCMP- Codiac Regional Detachment
Corporal Cheryl Joyce
RCMP-Gang Awareness Unit
Constable Jeffrey Mitchell
RCMP- Cumberland, Amherst Office
Constable Charles Smith
RCMP- Cumberland, Amherst Office
Constable Jeff Shannon and Constable Sigrid Tveita
RCMP- Prince Rupert Detachment
Constable Earl Woods
RCMP- Souris Detachment
Operation «Intimidation»
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Police Service
Constable Mike Rioux
Summerside Police Service
Constable Paul Brookes
Victoria Police Department
Constable Sandra Dearden
Waterloo Regional Police Service
NOMINEES
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Sylvie Mantha, Criminologist
Gatineau Police Service
Youth in the Gatineau region have criminologist Sylvie Mantha to thank for giving them a safe and anonymous way to report incidents of bullying and intimidation in their communities. Mantha launched a Web site last year as part of her strategy to deal with the rising number of such incidents. As the Internet is widely used by youth, Mantha hoped that it would encourage more reporting of bullying. The police have been working with teachers and parents to get the message out to youth that reporting bullying and intimidation is socially acceptable and that the effects of bullying can be devastating.
Mantha's project stresses the fact that witnesses, victims and aggressors all need to be helped if intimidation and bullying is to be prevented. The project encourages the police to deal with aggressors out of the formal court system and for victims to be involved with the process through mediation. Mantha created a poster campaign for the school to encourage students to discuss the issues and to make them aware of the available resources.
Contact Person: : Sylvie Mantha
(819) 243-2346 ext. 6065
Sergeant Nancy Goodes-Ritchie
Hamilton Police Service
Sergeant Nancy Goodes-Ritchie is adept at finding innovative ways of dealing with youth and crime. As Youth Co-ordinator for the Hamilton Police Service, Goodes-Ritchie created and implemented the Youth Drug Diversion Program for youth who have been arrested for a drug offence. The new, community-based program is used by police to divert young drug users from the criminal justice system. Youth are evaluated to determine their substance abuse level and are then given an appropriate treatment plan. Youth are provided with education and counselling to help resolve their drug problems, while parents are also encouraged to attend sessions to identify any family issues that may have contributed to the drug use.
Goodes-Richie is also tackling the issue of bullying. In the fall of 2003, grades 6, 7 and 8 students from the Hamilton area were treated to a varsity basketball game as part of Goodes-Ritchie's Basketball vs. Bullying - One on One event. The event was organized in partnership with McMaster University and saw 11,800 students bussed to the Coliseum to watch a play on bullying called "The Diary" followed by a basketball game.
Contact person: Sergeant Nancy Goodes-Ritchie
(905) 546-4963
Sergeant Jacques Bisson
Montreal Police Service
Sergeant Jacques Bisson decided that he needed a new approach to teach youth about the dangers of juvenile prostitution and street gangs. Bisson worked with local schools and community organizations to create an interactive play that exposes the dangerous world of prostitution.
"Le prince serpent" is put on by a theatre group in schools and for community groups. The play targets girls aged 12-15, as they are deemed to be a group who are especially vulnerable to being approached by members of street gangs or being manipulated into prostitution. The play explores strategies gang members might use to recruit victims, informs students where they could go to get help and shows the consequences that the lifestyle has on the girls.
After the play there is a workshop where students can ask questions and have discussions on the issue. In creating the play, Bisson ensured that he spoke with groups that help juvenile prostitutes as well as young female prostitutes themselves.
Contact person: Sergeant Jacques Bisson
(514) 280-0142
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Sergeant Martin Dea and Community Relations Officer Jacques Châles
Montreal Police Service
Residents in Côtes-des-Neiges are now reassured that their youth are protected from the criminal activities associated with arcades. Sergeant Martin Dea and Community Relations Officer Jacques Châles have worked relentlessly in the community to enforce a Montreal by-law that prohibits admitting anyone under the age of 18 into an amusement hall, such as an arcade.
Some arcades were choosing to ignore the by-law and the officers began to focus in on one establishment, as it is situated near both a high school and an elementary school. The police had to intervene at the arcade over 500 times and worked with the school to explain to youth the dangers of video games and the crimes that went along with them. The officers estimate that they spoke with over 2,500 youth about the dangers of the arcade and had many meetings with parents and school officials. The police laid 425 charges against the proprietor, totally around $700,000 in fines. The arcade was then shut down on February 2, 2004.
Contact person: Sergeant Martin Dea and Community Relations Officer Jacques Châles
(514) 280-0626
Staff Sergeant Robert Wright
Niagara Regional Police Service
After a number of students from Port Colborne High School overdosed by smoking marijuana laced with ketamine, Staff Sergeant Robert Wright decided that it was time to make an I.M.P.A.C.T. (Intensity Measures- Police and Community Together).
The three-phase intervention was launched in September 2003 and encourages youth to make healthy lifestyle choices and assists youth at risk to stay on the good side of the law. Phases one and two allowed Wright to identify the main issues at hand and to have increased police visibility at the school. Phase three deals with the long-term goal of decreasing crime at the school and in the community.
Wright also created an after school pilot program that gives 30 at-risk youth an opportunity to participate in physical activity, tutoring, one-on-one mentoring and life-skills instruction. The pilot involves Brock University students acting as mentors for the youth, as well as guest lecturers speaking to the students and their parents.
Contact person: Staff Sergeant Robert Wright
(905) 735-7811 Ext. 3270
Constable Linda Kennedy
Ontario Provincial Police
Constable Linda Kennedy undertook the responsibility of educating her fellow officers in the Greater Toronto Region about the new Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) and its impact on policing. Kennedy started to teach the officers about the Act in February 2003, so they could be prepared for its implementation a few months later. She co-ordinated a training exercise for the officers in order to help them understand when it is best to use extrajudicial measures rather than the traditional judicial system. Kennedy worked to promote the new philosophies of the Act.
The YCJA calls for the police to work closely with community agencies. Kennedy searched the region for referral agencies and checked them to ensure that they would be good partners for the Ontario Provincial Police. She also worked to set up policies and procedures for jurisdictions to use when implementing the new Act.
Contact person: Constable Linda Kennedy
(905) 584-2241
Constable Jacques Carrière
Ottawa Police Service
As Montfort School's resource officer, Constable Jacques Carrière works closely with staff and students to identify trends in school crime and to prevent crime by giving talks on drug awareness, shoplifting and theft.
Along with serving as a liaison officer, Carrière also responds to incidents that occur at the school and is always available for youth in difficult situations. By working with youth under the age of 12 he is able to help them develop a trusting relationship with the police.
Carrière helps the students to understand and respect the law. Ottawa's School Resource Officer program was launched in 1991.
Contact person: Constable Jacques Carrière
(613) 236-1222 Ext. 5766
Constable Steven Gloade
RCMP- Baddeck, First Nations Community Policing
By promoting First Nations teachings and values, Constable Steven Gloade is empowering youth to strive for a bright future. Through innovative ideas Gloade has been able to forge a positive bond between the police and Aboriginal youth in Cape Breton.
In late 2003, 15 Aboriginal youth spent a week at Moose Camp with police officers, Department of Natural Resources officers and elders. Along with participating in a moose hunt, the youth were taught cultural skills such as harvesting traditional food supplies for the betterment of the community. The camp promoted the youth's identity and allowed the youth to realise that an individual's actions can affect the whole community.
Gloade also set up a program that allowed 16 Aboriginal youth from four First Nations communities to travel to the RCMP training academy in Regina, Saskatchewan. The youth (at no cost to the participants) went to watch the graduation of a female cadet who was originally from a First Nations area in Nova Scotia. This experience was done to both inspire youth and to encourage them to work with the law rather than against it.
Contact Person: Constable Steven Gloade
(902) 295-0122
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Problem Oriented Policing Section (POPS)
RCMP, Codiac Regional Detachment
Since 2000, Codiac Regional Problem Oriented Policing Section (POPS) has been promoting restorative justice in the province of New Brunswick when it comes to dealing with youth and crime. POPS designed a formal caution letter for youth who have committed a minor offence instead of putting them through the traditional justice system. The group also holds Community Justice Forums to bring together the victim, the offender, their families and other affected members of the community with a facilitator so an agreement on how the harm should be repaired can be reached.
POPS has given a three-day facilitator course to over 100 people across the province. They given the course to many teachers in hopes that they will be able to hold forums for youth under 12 as a way of holding them accountable for their actions.The group has discovered through their forums that once a young person has taken ownership of his/her actions, the community will come together to give the youth a second chance and to help reintegrate the youth back into the community.
Contact Person: Corporal Patricia Fox
Constable Glenn Turner
Constable Daniel Guy
(506) 859-2589
Corporal Cheryl Joyce
RCMP, Community Contract & Aboriginal Police Service
Corporal Cheryl Joyce had been a strong advocator of Community Justice Forums (CJF) for two years when she decided to help educate the people who work with youth across the country on how to best use this restorative justice tool. In 1999, Joyce developed and conducted her first "Train-the-Trainers" course for all CJF facilitators.
The forums bring together the offender, the victim and their families or supporters under the guidance of a facilitator in order to decide how to "right the wrong" that occurred. Since 2001, 42 facilitators have gone through Joyce's training program including community volunteers, program coordinators, elders, police and corrections offices, teachers and social workers.
Joyce also teaches her fellow RCMP members about using the forums as a way of helping the offender understand the impact of their crime and assisting the victim obtain closure. She hopes this will encourage them to use alternative measures when dealing with youth. Joyce is an active promoter of the forums and has travelled to schools and communities as far away as Nunavut spreading the message.
Contact Person: Corporal Cheryl Joyce
(306) 780-3823
Constable Jeffrey Mitchell
RCMP- Cumberland, Amherst Office
Students of all ages in Amherst, Nova Scotia, are now able to recognize and understand the effects of bullying. Constable Jeffrey Mitchell first started the anti-bullying program in December 2002, as a way of eliminating the increasing problem at the grassroots level. Mitchell helps to educate students about the consequences of their actions on each other and the community at large. Some students are unaware that they may be bullying others but the program allows them to identify the problem and works to stop the harmful actions.
The program is also used to deal with discipline problems that may arise at the schools rather than using the court system. Mitchell is able to hold youth of any age accountable for their actions and encourages open dialogue between all parties involved. Mitchell's program is currently being considered as a provincial pilot for Nova Scotia's school system.
Contact person: Constable Jeffrey Mitchell
(902) 667-3859
Constable Charles Smith
RCMP- Cumberland, Amherst Office
Constable Charles Smith is working to put the fun back into Halloween night for both the youth and the community. Smith came up with the idea for SPOOKARAMA in February 2002 as a way of curbing the criminal activities committed by youth on Halloween night. The Amherst area was becoming known for the amount of vandalism, assaults, disturbances and minor mischief that occurred on October 31st.
Smith created a program that allows the youth to participate in scheduled activities where they can win awards rather than wandering the neighbourhoods. The youth are encouraged to take ownership of their community and to work to keep it a safe place. By taking a pro-active response, Smith is ensuring that fewer youth will be entering the judicial system. The program has been running for two years and has seen a significant decrease in crimes committed by youth on Halloween night.
Contact Person: Constable Charles Smith
((902) 667-3859
The members of the Olds detachment in Alberta are working towards a project that they have nicknamed "Operation Olds-topia." The project aims to eliminate youth crime by providing services to youth who have been in conflict with the law and to youth who are at risk of coming into contact with the law.
The detachment has taken the lead in the community to create projects that will highlight their presence in Olds and that will allow them to form positive relationships with the youth. Members of the detachment have participated in Police-Officer-For-A-Morning, school Ride-A-Longs and have volunteered to coach a variety of recreational sports teams. These social situations have established a bond between the officers and the youth and are a proactive approach to dealing with youth and crime. The officers have also held 20 Community Justice Forums as a way of holding youth accountable for their actions in the community instead of in the judicial system. The forums have been useful in restoring respect between the community and the offender.
Contact person: RCMP- Olds Detachment
(403) 556-3324
Constables Jeff Shannon and Sigrid Tveita
RCMP- Prince Rupert Detachment
As members of Prince Rupert's Youth Intervention Team, Constables Jeff Shannon and Sigrid Tveita have a strong presence in both the community and the local schools. The team started in October of 2003 and focuses on youth at risk and preventing youth crime. The group has five approaches to helping youth who are in conflict with the law or who are in danger of committing a crime. These approaches include ensuring that the team is active in schools, facilitating efforts from other agencies to provide positive opportunities for youth, managing youth crime in partnership with restorative justice, identifying and monitoring youth at risk and sharing intelligence with partners.
As well as being a reactive team they are also proactive in preventing youth crime. They have partnered with the local Northern Health Authority to provide sporting activities and life skills workshops to youth. The team has secured offices in both high schools for easier access by youth and deals with incidents that arise in the school by using community justice forums to hold youth accountable for their actions.
Contact person: Constables Jeff Shannon and Sigrid Tveita
(250) 627-0700
Constable Earl Woods
RCMP- Souris Detachment
As Prince Edward Island's only full time school resource officer, Constable Earl Woods holds quite a unique position. Since September 2003, Woods has been working with students, principals, teachers, parents and community members to create a close and positive relationship. As a school resource officer, Woods focuses on crime prevention through visibility, approachability and accessibility while promoting educational programs. He touches on topics such as bullying, drugs, alcohol, broken homes and relationships.
Woods uses alternative measures to deal with incidents that occur at the school. He has issued written and verbal warnings, made referrals to community agencies and has held a very large community justice forum that involved over 150 people. The role of a liaison officer for Woods is one that encompasses all areas of students' lives. He performs "ride alongs" on school buses to ensure safety, he works with Child Find PEI to fingerprint younger students and he assists public nurses in discussing the dangers of smoking.
Contact person: Constable Earl Woods
(902) 687-9300
Operation «Intimidation»
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Police Service
Police officers from the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Police Service are working to tackle bullying before it begins by educating Grade six classes on the lasting consequences that abuse can have on its victims and witnesses. The students, who range from 11 to 13 years old, are about to go from being the oldest in elementary school to being the youngest in a high school setting. The officers explain to students that no one has the right to abuse someone and that victims and witnesses should speak out about any bullying that occurs.
The team works with schools to ensure that victims of bullying receive the help that they need while aggressors are given meaningful consequences in order to deter any further negative behaviour. The officers are gearing up to launch a second program within the schools that works to provide youth with problem-solving skills. The program will focus on the importance of walking away from a potentially violent situation and reporting it to a teacher or school administrator
Contact person: Constables Serge Mainville, François Boulet, Dominique Launière, Jean-Pierre Chouinard, Christine Carrière, Julie-Maria Lang and Marie-Soleil Bolduc
(405) 357-2222
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Constable Mike Rioux
Summerside Police Service
Generation XX has been operating as a safe and youth friendly drop-in centre in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, for the last seven years. Constable Mike Rioux started the centre in 1997 as a way to give youth access to positive programs in a supervised location. The goal is to keep the youth busy and connected to the community so that they will be less likely to engage in criminal behaviour.
Generation XX is also used by police when a youth comes into conflict with the law. The centre encourages the police to give community service to a youth as a way of holding them accountable for their actions. The community service work is performed through the centre as they have strong links to the community and local businesses.
The youth, ages 12-18, pay a $20 annual fee to belong to the centre and are given the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities. Generation XX is housed in a former curling rink that the youth and adult volunteers have renovated into an indoor skateboarding park, a boxing club, a concert hall, a resource centre and a games room.
Contact Person: : Constable Mike Rioux
(902) 432-1200
Constable Paul Brookes
Victoria Police Department
Youth in the greater Victoria area are now more prepared to fight racism and intolerance in their communities. Constable Paul Brookes spearheaded a Youth Combating Intolerance Conference last October for 80 youth from a variety of ethnic, racial, religious and cultural backgrounds. The youth ranged in age from 13 to 16 years old and came from five area schools. The participants took part in workshops and activities over a four-day period.
Brookes spent several years fund-raising for the event and arranged for several guest lecturers to attend the conference. Youth were taught the necessary tools to fight racism in their schools and to stand up to any intolerance that was taking place in their communities. The conference was designed to take a proactive approach to educating youth about the need to stop abuse and bullying.
Contact Person: Constable Paul Brookes
(250) 995-7654
Constable Sandra Dearden
Waterloo Regional Police Service
Constable Sandra Dearden set up a program for youth in conflict with the law or at risk of engaging in criminal activities to teach them about the sport of boxing and also about life choices. Dearden started this innovative program in partnership with the Waterloo Police Boxing Academy as a way to encourage youth to take ownership of their actions and then work hard to move forward.
The court, the police and the school system refer high risk, troubled youth to Dearden's program rather than using the traditional justice system. Participants must earn their way into the boxing ring by showing improvement in their behaviour at school, at home and in the community.
The youth are encouraged to set realistic goals and then strive for their completion. Boxing allows the youth the opportunity to participate in physical fitness development, team development and a mentoring program. Along with one-on-one training, youth experience mediation and circle discussions with teachers, friends and family.
Contact Person: Constable Sandra Dearden
(519) 653-7700
