Proposed Community Safety Office

The Town of Wolfville is exploring the possibility of launching a community Safety Office, that would be staffed by a Community Safety Coordinator. Part of this exploration includes a feasibility report that is now being researched and written by Saint Mary's University criminology professor, Dr. Stephen Schneider.

The feasibility study has two main goals. Goal one is to plan for the creation of a pilot Community Safety Office through a report that will articulate the vision, mandate, goals, principles, strategies, programs, and services of the proposed office. It will also provide a preliminary estimate of the required resources, a description of the Community Safety Coordinator position, and a framework to monitor and assess this pilot project.

Goal two is to assess the feasibility of a Community Safety Office in terms of the office's ability to mobilize and organize local resources and to engage the participation of key stakeholders, which is essential in the preventative, problem-solving, team-oriented model that is envisioned for a successful Community Safety Office.

About the Community Safety Office approach

This alternative model is based on the idea that public safety is not the sole responsibility of the police. Instead, it must be shared among multiple stakeholders in society, including other government agencies and, most importantly, residents, local organizations, and businesses in the communities that are impacted by crime and other safety issues.

Community crime prevention entails the participation and mobilization of residents who join together with police and other government agencies to prevent and control crime.

A community safety model is not meant to replace, but to complement traditional policing.

You can review the project proposal by clicking this link.

UPDATE: April 2, 2024

The draft report has been submitted and Council reviewed it on April 2, 2024.

You can review the work by clicking here. The report starts on Page 8 of the background agenda.