Inspired by their attendance at the International Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Conference in Calgary in October 2015, the City of North Battleford organized a CPTED and SafeGrowth® Training in North Battleford in January and March.
The training is seen as a regional capacity building program in the area and the City. “We recognize the link between this training and the revitalization of the City,” says City Manager Jim Puffalt. “CPTED is one of the initiatives that will help us to enhance the safety and vibrancy of North Battleford.”
Gregory Saville, founder and CEO of SafeGrowth® and facilitator of the workshop, confirms: “Crime is best tackled within the neighbourhood, meaning working with local folks at the local level.” He continues: “The participants in this training are working on real crime safety issues where they are applying the CPTED methods and practices in a real life setting.”
The first part of the training took place in January. Individuals from Red Deer, Lloydminster and Prince Albert as well as City staff from various departments and involvements in crime prevention learned the principals of CPTED. They also went to a location in the City during daytime and again after dark to assess the area and the changes of the environment after sunset.
The following day the group of 20 attendees was split into teams of 4-5 participants. Each team had to identify a location in their City that they would like to investigate further and enhance by applying the CPTED principals. The teams met again on March 17 and 18 to present their projects.
“Art Alley” is one of the initiatives evolving from the CPTED training. It is a collaborative project between the City and Downtown North Battleford to engage local artists in transforming the walls of downtown into a vibrant and positive space. Research shows that beautifying an area helps create more ownership and interest in a space, thereby reducing unfavorable activity.