Building Safer Communities Steering Committee

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 on the steering committee, contact cityclerk@stjohns.ca.

The City of St. John’s, in collaboration with the Building Safer Communities Steering Committee and community-based service providers, developed a comprehensive, evidence-based Building Safer Communities Strategy by engaging residents, service providers, people with lived expertise, and other collaborators.

The Strategy represents a significant step forward in our commitment to make the City of St. John’s a safe and inclusive place where every resident can live, learn, work, play, and thrive without fear of violence and crime. 

The strategy and related work is supported by funding from the Public Safety Canada’s Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF).

Read Strategy

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
• Megan Pottle: First Light
• Kaberi Sarma-Debnath: Multicultural Women’s Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Laura Ivany: Stella’s Circle

Ex-Officio Non-Voting Members:

• Jane Henderson: Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services
• Jennifer Tarrant: Newfoundland Labrador Housing
• Gena Decker: Department of Justice and Public Safety
• Colleen Galgay: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
• Jon Butler: Department of Families and Affordability
• Julie Cunningham, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
• Gillian Sweeney, Department of Health and Community Services
• Amanda Dodd, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• 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