Neighbourhood Development Team

Brief Description

The Neighbourhood Development Team addresses crime and social disorder issues primarily from youth activity: graffiti, vandalism, drug/alcohol related offences, theft/burglary, and large/intimidating gatherings of youth in high risk neighbourhoods. It also encourages residents struggling with crime and social disorder issues to identify, connect, and utilize their assets to address their local issues.

Believing that a lack of connectedness is a major root cause underlying the social disorder issues in target neighbourhoods, the project encourage residents struggling with crime and social disorder issues to identify, connect, and utilize their assets to address their local issues.

Goals

The main goals of the Neighbourhood Development Team program are to:

• Encourage neighbourhoods struggling with crime and social disorder issues to identify, connect and utilize their assets to address their local issues; and
• Implement solutions to identified issues, enduring that citizens participate in the growth and evolution of their neighbourhood and community.

Clientele

The Neighbourhood Development Team program is targeted at residents in neighbourhoods struggling with crime and social disorder.

Core Components

The Neighbourhood Development Team operates as follows:

• Neighbourhood Patrols;
• Development of Graffiti Protocol;
• Environmental issues related to the Sturgeon River;
• Clearing of the Red Willow Park to make it less conducive to inappropriate behaviour; and
• Distribution of crime prevention.

Implementation Information

Some of the critical elements for the implementation of this program or initiative include the following:

• Organizational requirements: Limited information on this topic.
• Partnerships: This program, combined with the work from crime prevention organizations and crime prevention efforts of the RCMP have been critical factors in the decrease in crime.  This program has opened lines of communication between the City and the RCMP.
• Training and technical assistance: Needed to hire and re-train staff on several occasions (the analyst requiring 3 months of training each time).
• Risk assessment tools: Limited information on this topic.
• Materials & resources: Limited information on this topic.

International Endorsements

The most recognized classification systems of evidence-based crime prevention programs have classified this program or initiative as follows:

• Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development: Not applicable.
• Crime Solutions/OJJDP Model Program Guide: Not applicable.
• SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Not applicable.
• Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy: Not applicable.

Gathering Canadian Knowledge

Canadian Implementation Sites

This project was implemented in Saint Albert, Alberta from May 2009 – July 2013. The Neighbourhood Development Team gathered over 700 residents, who combined, volunteered more than 2,400 hours in initiatives to reduce crime and social disorder and build community connectivity.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

No information available.

Cost Information

A social return on investment (SROI) has been conducted on the Neighbourhood Development Team program. The findings from this study have shown the following:

• The SROI ratio indicates that over the three-year pilot, the average social value of investment in the Connect Family and Sexual Abuse Network is $1.76 for every dollar invested.

Funding was provided by the Safe Communities Innovation Fund (SCIF), Government of Alberta.

References

Alberta Community Crime Prevention Organizations. (2015). Social Return on Investment (SROI) Case Study: Family Violence Outreach Team. Recipient of Safe Communities Innovation Fund, Government of Alberta. Available from: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/safe-communities-innovation-fund-pilot-project-executive-summaries

For more information on this program, contact:

City of St. Albert – Community and Protective Services
Connie Smigielski
Telephone: (780)459-1507
E-mail: csmigielski@st-albert.net