Relations between the public and their police are often strained these days — which has made finding a way to defuse tension and build trust a high priority for communities across Canada. Once an effort has been made, however, it’s important to ask if what’s being done is working.

That’s why Humber College and the Toronto Police Service are collaborating on an evaluation of the Neighbourhood Policing Program introduced in May 2013. Its goals were to reduce crime and increase the public’s safety and its trust in police. Through the program, special teams of Toronto police officers were assigned to some of Toronto’s more troubled neighbourhoods. The teams weren’t just beefing up street patrols — they were out, meeting people and groups, talking about issues in the community, trying, where possible, to prevent crime.

Preliminary results suggest neighbourhood policing is making positive changes; completed results are expected in 2018. However, while the thorough evaluation of the impact of program will take some time yet, this policing-academic collaboration is providing training opportunities for students. The research team from the School of Social and Community Services is conducting surveys and focus groups with adults and youth in the communities with neighbourhood police teams. Students from several programs are gaining valuable experience in facilitating focus groups, doing surveys and analyzing data.

The project will also contribute to a tool kit for other police services that want to know what public-engagement strategies might be effective, and may strengthen the relationship between the Toronto police and the public by singling out the most effective strategies for good police and public interaction.

About Humber Polytechnic

Humber Polytechnic is one of Canada’s leading postsecondary institutions, combining deep theoretical learning with applied, hands-on experience. Humber offers a wide variety of credentials including... Learn more

Deciding on post-secondary education is a big step that can be particularly difficult for students who’ve grown up in areas with lower socio-economic status. To counter that, Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario has developed “City School by Mohawk,” a community-based initiative that aims to break down barriers to education and employment for residents of some of the city’s struggling neighbourhoods.

The goal of City School by Mohawk is to overcome the post-secondary attainment gap that may affect residents of communities struggling with poverty and other causes of marginalization. To do that, it has brought college programming and services directly to residents in easily accessible downtown “learning hubs.” There, City School offers tuition-free college credit courses and workshops, taught by Mohawk faculty and staff, to encourage potential students to take gradual steps on a postsecondary pathway.

The two City School hubs offer college courses in a classroom environment, giving students a sense of what’s involved in attending college, as well as the chance to explore different topics they think they might like to study. And those who successfully complete the free course can earn a credit to be applied when they enroll at Mohawk.

“City school is a first for Hamilton and Ontario,” says Jim Vanderveken, dean of Interdisciplinary Studies at Mohawk College. “No other college in the province is taking community engagement to this level.” He describes City School by Mohawk as a basecamp on the journey to post-secondary education. Putting a college education within reach of everyone in the community is a priority for Dean Vanderveken and the college.

Research on the effectiveness of the City School project is being led by Dr. Alan Bourke, who is studying the perceptions students have of City School, and whether they succeed. Results of his work so far indicate significant promise: participants have high levels of satisfaction with their learning experience. Students report developing confidence in their academic abilities and building a connection with the college through a strong support system that advocates for their interests and aspirations.

Among a number of other positive findings, students appreciated the passion of their City School faculty, the flexibility of the course delivery schedules, and valued the child-care offered.

City School has generated significant interest in other communities tackling poverty and social marginalization. Mohawk also has plans to launch of a mobile City School.

About Mohawk College

Mohawk College educates and serves 30,000 full-time, part-time and apprenticeship students at three campuses in Hamilton, Ontario. More than 1,200 international students from over 70... Learn more