Building Safer Communities Steering Committee

The City of St. John’s will receive up to $1.83 million through Public Safety Canada’s Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF) over three years to develop a crime and violence prevention strategy in collaboration with community partners and stakeholders. The strategy will address the causes and conditions that give rise to crime and violence, particularly for young people.

The Building Safer Communities Steering Committee is solutions-oriented and provides information and recommendations to the City of St. John’s on the best ways of addressing the social determinants of crime and violence. 

The Steering Committee acknowledges the importance of addressing the social determinants of violence and crime, which are the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age. These include income and social status, employment and working conditions, education and literacy, childhood experiences, gender, culture, race and racism, social supports and coping skills, biology and genetic endowment, access to health services, healthy behaviours, physical environments. The Steering Committee also recognizes that while violence and crime are connected, not all types of crime are inherently violent, and not all forms of violence are necessarily criminal.

For more information, contact cityclerk@stjohns.ca.

Membership

Public, Voting Members:

• Sharron Callahan: Newfoundland and Labrador Public Sector Pensioners Association
• Bridget Clarke: St. John’s Women’s Centre
• Angela Crockwell: Thrive
• Valerie Flynn, John Howard Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Dr. Sulaimon Giwa: Individual Resident
• Kim Grant: The Gathering Place
• Katie Hayward: Individual Resident
• Lindsey Hynes: Community Sector Council Newfoundland and Labrador
• Douglas Pawson: End Homelessness St. John’s
• Kaberi Sarma-Debnath: Multicultural Women’s Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Laura Winters: Stella’s Circle

Ex-Officio Non-Voting Members:

• Jane Henderson: Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services
• Jennifer Tarrant: Newfoundland Labrador Housing
• Sharlene Simmons: Department of Justice and Public Safety
• Jessica Webb: Department of Education
• Renee Ryan: Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development
• Julie Cunningham, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
• Natalie Godden: City of St. John’s
• Krista Gladney: City of St. John’s
• Michelle Smith: City of St. John’s
• Tahira Tarique: City of St. John’s

Terms of Reference

Review the Building Safer Communities Steering Committee Terms of Reference to learn more about the committee's mandate, roles and responsibilities. 

• Read 2023 Building Safer Communities Round Table Report