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5 Ways You Can Get Involved in Crime Prevention

Published

5 years ago

8 minute read

This article is provided by the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre.

If you are already familiar with the Centre, scroll down to the bottom for the 5 WAYS,
but we thought you might want to know a bit about the Centre first 

Did you know that Red Deer has a Crime Prevention Centre?

Since 2012, the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre (CACPC) has been engaging, educating, and empowering residents and businesses to promote and sustain community safety. CACPC is unique in North America because we are the only Crime Prevention Centre who partners with five (5) other crime prevention organizations including the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association, Citizens on Patrol, Crime Stoppers, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and Neighbourhood Watch.

How does the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre help in preventing crime?

Our primary role is to provide education to residents and businesses about how they can protect themselves against crime. We attend and initiate many connecting events where we hand out free Crime Prevention Packages that contain valuable information and resources from us and our partners. We provide CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) reviews for residents and business experiencing crime issues and give them practical ideas on how to “target harden” their properties. We also provide basic and advanced CPTED training, twice per year, with instructors who have their Professional CPTED Designations for those in law enforcement or security, urban or rural planners, councilors, building or fire inspectors, property managers, business owners, and those interested in crime prevention would benefit from this training.

CPTED is based on the premise that “the proper design and effective use of the
built environment can lead to a reduction in the incidence and fear of crime, and an improvement in the quality of life”.

Does CACPC work with the RCMP?

Definitely! We work in conjunction primarily with the Community Policing division of the RCMP. We support them and they support us. The Centre works with the RCMP to educate residents or businesses about crime prevention. Sometimes we are dropping off crime prevention packages. Sometimes we are connecting with the Community Association for that neighbourhood to put on a crime prevention presentation or doing a “pop-up” information booth or BBQ in a neighbourhood. Sometimes we are cleaning graffiti. And sometimes we go out with RCMP members to perform a CPTED review on properties to give crime prevention suggestions to the property owners.

How is the CACPC funded?

The CACPC is a registered non-profit charity. We receive a portion of our funding form the City of Red Deer as part of their commitment to community safety. However, we need to raise a significant portion of our budget in order to keep operating. We do this primarily through fundraising events such as our Pub Night and  Charity Checkstop (“Coats for Kids & Cash for Crime Prevention”) in October and our Touch-A-Truck event in May, our new FundScrip gift card program, and other fundraising events including raffles and BBQ’s.

 

5 WAYS To Get Involved in Crime Prevention

  1. Educate Yourself! Please feel free to drop by the Centre and pick up a FREE crime prevention package for yourself and your friends and/or neighbours. You can also check out resources and information on the CACPC website and the Crime Prevention ideas on the City of Red Deer’s website. The more you understand about how to make your property less attractive to the criminal, the better!
  2. Get to Know your neighbours! Did you know that the #1 crime prevention tool is knowing your neighbours? It’s not always easy to meet our neighbours, so here are 3 ways to get to know your neighbours: 1) Become a Block Captain with Neighbourhood Watch. It’s easy! You will be responsible for getting to know 8 of your neighbours (one on each side of your home, 3 behind you and 3 in front of you) and watch out for each other, reporting suspicious activity to the RCMP (via the non-emergency line 403-343-5575), and keeping those 8 neighbours aware of any issues of crime in your neighbourhood. 2) Join your Community Association. If your neighbourhood doesn’t have one, you might consider getting some of your neighbours together and starting one. 3) Join an online community for your neighbourhood, like Next Door. Nextdoor is the world’s largest social network for the neighborhood and completely FREE to join. Nextdoor enables truly local conversations that empower neighbors to build stronger and safer communities. Neighbour are using Nextdoor to recommend a house painter, spread the word about a lost dog, organize a Neighbourhood Watch group or quickly get the word out about a break-in, share information during a natural disaster, find a new home for an outgrown bike and much more! There are also a number of Red Deer community association and crime watch pages on Facebook you can participate in social media.
  3. Support Crime Prevention with your Time! The Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre has a number of event-based (short shift) opportunities to volunteer with us. For more information about our volunteer opportunities, you can visit our website, or check out VolunteerConnector.org.  You also might be interested in joining Citizens on Patrol (COP). The main goal of the Citizens on Patrol Program is to be on the look-out for any suspicious or criminal activity, to record this activity and, where appropriate, to report such activities to the police. COP members act as additional “eyes and ears” for their community and the police, which assists in reducing crime. All Red Deer COP members receive training from and work with the RCMP.
  4. Support Crime Prevention with your Money! Many people are unable to volunteer but can provide support through donations, buying gift cards through us, sponsorships, or by attending our fundraising events. To donate to the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre, click HERE. You will receive a tax receipt for your donation.
  5. Be a Positive Force in Our Community! When people are empowered, they feel less like victims. So, if you are educated and actively participating in crime prevention by completing target hardening measures for your property, are getting to know your neighbours, and donating your time or money, you are contributing to the solution and therefore will feel empowered! And people that are empowered, are more positive. And, when our friends complain about the crime problem in Red Deer, we can suggest how they can too get involved in crime prevention.
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Community

100+ Women Who Care Red Deer celebrates 10th season in 2025 with new leadership

Published on November 27, 2024

By

L to R: Cindy Jefferies, Susan Knopp, Lane Tomalty, Bre Fitzpatrick
Photo credit: The SnapHappy Photographer

After a decade of leadership under Cindy Jefferies and Susan Knopp, 100+ Women Who Care Red Deer (100+ WWCRD) is proud to celebrate 10 years of supporting local charities and the announcement of Bre Fitzpatrick and Lane Tomalty as its new co-leaders. This marks an exciting new chapter for the group, which has made a significant impact on not-for-profit organizations in Central Alberta.

Cindy and Susan have led 100+ WWCRD with vision, dedication, and a commitment to empowering women to lead and inspire change. Under their stewardship, the organization has raised over $630,000 for local charities by hosting 4 annual 1-hour meetings. Since 2015, more than 36 local charities have received funding through the group.

Reflecting on their tenure, Cindy and Susan stated:

“Leading 100 Women has been an honour and a privilege. When we began this journey, we didn’t know where it would go – we simply loved the simple, elegant, and fun ‘100 Who Care’ concept and thought it was a great fit for our community. We are grateful to the many women who have stood with us. They are the magic of the organization! We are confident Bre and Lane will steward this leadership role well and we look forward to supporting it – just not from behind the microphone!”

Bre and Lane bring a dynamic energy and fresh perspective to the organization. Both have been involved with the group and have been mentored by Susan and Cindy over the past year. They are eager to continue the collaboration, connection, and local support this team of women have established in Red Deer.

In their joint statement, Bre and Lane shared:

“We are humbled to step into this role and build on the incredible foundation Cindy and Susan have laid. Many needs are at the doorstep of our community and in the hearts and minds of our members. We know a powerful, caring, and united group of individuals can play a huge role in driving change and breaking barriers.

To celebrate this milestone and leadership transition, the 100+ WWCRD hosted the final meeting of 2024 on November 25th at the Red Deer Golf and Country Club. The evening featured reflections from Cindy and Susan, the selection of the Salvation Army as the charity of choice, an opportunity for members to connect with Bre and Lane as they outline their vision for the organization’s next chapter, and a toast to 10 years.

For more information, please visit www.100womenreddeer.ca

About 100+ Women Who Care Red Deer

100+ Women Who Care Red Deer is a network of compassionate, empowered, and dedicated women who make a direct, immediate, and positive impact in Red Deer and area. We support local non-profit and charitable organizations that work every day to make our community a better place to live. 100% of funds donated go to the selected charities – there are no
administration fees, and all costs are covered by the generosity of sponsors. Collectively, we make a difference.

The group meets 4 times annually for 1 hour. Non-profit and charitable organizations are nominated by members. After hearing 3 randomly drawn pitches, the members vote to select their top choice. The group with the highest number of votes receives the members’ donations. Each member or team commits to donating $100 at each meeting. Since 2015, the average raised has been more than $15,000 per meeting.

Membership is open to all women In Red Deer and area. We invite you to join us! The first meeting of 2025 will be on Monday, February 3, 2025.

Founded in February 2015, the organization currently has about 150 members. We are committed to uniting this powerful group of 100+ women who care and lifting the amazing non-profits and charitable groups they support.

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Community

Festival of Trees tickets on sale! Update from the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation

Published on October 28, 2024

By

Festival of Trees tickets are on sale now! Get ’em while they’re hot!
If you want to taste all the flavors at Festival of Wines & Spirits, experience the enchantment of Mistletoe Magic, or treat your family to a morning of fun at Festival Pajama Breakfast, it’s time to buy your tickets!

Learn all about Festival of Trees and purchase your tickets at reddeerfestivaloftrees.ca!

Red Deer Regional Health Foundation Announces Cath Lab Opening 5 Years Ahead of Schedule
The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, in collaboration with AHS, is proud to announce the fast-tracked opening of a Cardiac Catheterization Lab (Cath Lab) at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. With a permanent facility scheduled for completion in five years, this critical fixture will allow for care on an accelerated timeline, offering life-saving cardiac care to the residents of Central Alberta.

Manon Therriault, CEO of the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, emphasized the significance of this development. “In cardiac care, time isn’t just money—it’s muscle. The earlier patients receive treatment, the better their chances of recovery. This Cath Lab, coming approximately five years earlier than expected, could save up to 160 lives.”

The Cath Lab, which will be housed in a retrofitted space within the current hospital, will allow local cardiac patients to receive urgent care in Red Deer instead of requiring transfers to hospitals in Calgary or Edmonton. In the future, the lab will be transformed into a cutting-edge Vascular and Neurology Lab, going above and beyond the broader Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Redevelopment Project, which represents a $1.8 billion investment—the largest hospital expansion in Alberta’s history. The ability to support projects of this importance would not be possible without our donors.

The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation is providing financial support for the essential architectural, mechanical, and electrical upgrades. “This Cath Lab represents an immediate leap forward in improving local healthcare. We’re not waiting to make a difference in the lives of Central Albertans,” said Therriault.

“Through this Memorandum of Understanding with our Foundation partners, we’re underscoring our commitment to enhancing the cardiac care available at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre,” says Karen Foudy, AHS Senior Operating Officer for Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. “By establishing an interim catheterization laboratory, we will be able to provide a new service to patient’s years ahead of the completion of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Redevelopment Project which will help reduce the need for cardiac patients to travel to other facilities.

This will also support our efforts to recruit and retain the talented healthcare professionals needed to provide care every day to our patients.”

Women Leading Philanthropy Event Supports Mothers Through the EMBRACE Program
On October 9th, Women Leading Philanthropy (WLP) hosted an invigorating gathering of 60

attendees, all coming together for a meaningful evening in support of the EMBRACE program.

The event highlighted WLP’s dedication to empowering women and making a difference in the

lives of those who need it most.

The EMBRACE program is a vital initiative aimed at supporting women with a history of

substance use during pregnancy. EMBRACE stands for Empowering Mothers and Families,

Mentorship, Building Healthy Relationships, Respect, Actively Listening and Learning,

Collaboration, and Engagement. At the heart of the program is a collaborative care approach,

ensuring that mothers receive comprehensive support throughout pregnancy and into the

postpartum period. The ultimate goal is to empower these mothers to be the primary caregivers

for their babies, equipping them with the tools and confidence they need to thrive.

During the evening, a guest speaker moved the audience with personal stories of her own

journey and that of another mother’s experience with EMBRACE. She shared how the program

had been a source of strength and guidance during some of the most difficult moments in their

lives, underscoring the powerful impact of community support.

As part of the fundraising efforts, EMBRACE totes—special bags given to mothers during their

stay in the hospital—were auctioned off. Each tote is filled with approximately $100 worth of

essential items for both mother and baby, including personal hygiene and comfort items, snacks,

things to pass the time in the hospital, and baby necessities like sleepers, sleep sacks, and

soothers.

Looking ahead, WLP is excited to grow its membership and continue selecting impactful causes

to support. The energy and passion shared at events like this are a testament to the power of

collective philanthropy.

Reflecting on the event, WLP member Sara Gerrard shared, “Being part of a group that

empowers women through philanthropy is incredibly rewarding. Events like ‘Connect for a

Cause’ in support of the EMBRACE program not only showcase the collective impact we can

have but also inspire us to strive for even greater change. Together, we’re making a difference,

one initiative at a time.”

With such a strong start, WLP is eager to see what the future holds as they continue to engage

in meaningful causes and strengthen their impact on the community.

VIEW OUR IMPACT REPORT

Red Deer Regional Health Foundation raises and disburses funds for programs, services, and the purchase of medical equipment for the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and other health centres in Central Alberta.

Click here to view a list of some of the equipment recently funded by our generous donors.
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