Crime Prevention Experts Come Together to Improve Safety

Hundreds of Atlantic Canadians committed to preventing and reducing crime will come together in May with the goal of making our schools and communities safer.

The 25th Annual Atlantic Crime Prevention Conference is being held in Halifax, May 4-6. The theme is Safe Schools – Strong Communities: A Crime Prevention Approach. It is a partnership of the Department of Justice, Crime Prevention Societies of Nova Scotia, the National Crime Prevention Center and the Atlantic Coordinating Committee on Crime Prevention.

"We are committed to making this province safer for individuals, families and communities," said Ross Landry, Minister of Justice. "Of recent concern is the issue of Internet bullying and the safety of our young people.

"With a focus on school safety, this conference will be a timely opportunity to learn from others across Atlantic Canada and work together to make our schools, and our communities safer."

A workshop on cyber-bullying and Internet luring will be just one of many sessions attended by more than 200 people involved in crime prevention including, teachers, police officers, academic researchers, community members, municipal leaders, policy advisors, social workers and many others. The goals of the 2011 conference are to raise awareness of good practices and programs that can address, improve and promote a safer school environment, and to provide tools to help improve community safety.

"The most important thing about this conference is the opportunity to connect the crime prevention and community safety advocates with educators and leaders," said Ken MacDonald, conference co-chair. "This is a chance for them to work together and explore options and strategies to make their communities and neighborhoods more safe."

The Annual Minister's Award for Leadership in Crime Prevention will also be presented at the conference.

For more information about the conference or to register online, visit www.acc-cca.org.