PIA is a framework designed to nurture and strengthen a respectful, transparent and trusting partnership at all levels between the police and the community on any issue. It is also an approach for the prevention, management and resolution of Critical Incidents and Critical Situations.

• The Partnership in Action initiative was born from a report of the same name. The report resulted from a study undertaken between 1993 and 1997 by an independent project team from the Ottawa-Carleton region.
• It was commissioned by the Ottawa Area Police and Community Council and funded by the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services.
• It was a partnership effort between our police service and the community.
• The original intent of the study was to develop Community-Police Incident Response Protocol for dealing with critical incidents between police and the visible minority and Aboriginal communities.
• During the process, it became clear that these communities were not ready to buy-in to a joint protocol and that the police were not seeing a protocol as the immediate answer to community-police conflicts around critical incidents.
• As a result, the study shifted emphasis to the broader issue of police-community relations.
• The proposals arising from the study focus on addressing issues, building confidence between police and the community and on creating organizational mechanisms to foster ongoing partnerships between the police, communities and the media. As partnerships are built, the focus can then shift to establishing a protocol.
• At the same time, Partnership in Action suggests that any new major community-police initiative must:
  • be responsive to the perceptions of the community and police and have a good chance of success;
  • focus on building partnerships between police and community; and
  • support the new problem solving and district-based policing approach in Ottawa.

Partnership opportunities vary according to the problem being addressed. For example, in a community that is experiencing hate-motivated crimes against students of a particular ethnic background:

• students could be encouraged to work together to develop a youth-based response;
• a Police Officer could teach the students personal safety skills to help reduce their risks of victimization - simultaneously strengthening the sense of mutual trust among the students, that community and the police;
• a parent-teacher organization could co-sponsor a program with newly settled members of that community to introduce cultural sensitivity in the schools;
• teachers could have students work in social studies, art or music classes to research that culture's customs - promoting learning from fellow students and broadening everyone's horizons; and
• parents, police, teachers and students could meet and discuss the issue with the media.

Partners in any situation should all focus on what they can do individually and together to solve problems and improve conditions. Whatever the partnership's inventory of skills and level of experience, the many assets that partnerships bring together can produce extraordinary results.

The police cannot successfully correct the conditions that generate crime alone. At the same time, prevention is not solely the function of police, community members, social workers or crown attorneys - it's everyone's function. Partnerships are viable alternatives. Not only do partnerships get something done about an immediate problem, they build a base for dealing with future problems. But how are potential partners found?

Potential partners will come from among three distinct groups:

1. those directly affected by a problem;
2. those who must deal with its aftermath or consequences; and
3. those who would benefit if the problem did not exist.

Example

The problem = Graffiti

Those directly affected = business owners, homeowners and city maintenance departments.

Those who must deal with the consequences = insurers and the police.

People who would benefit if the problem did not exist = realtors, neighborhood residents, school and youth programs that could use funds otherwise spent on cleanups.

Conclusion: All these people are potential partners

Assembling the right partners is the challenge. Sometimes the groups who form partnerships come from diverse backgrounds and have a variety of experiences. Some may never have worked in a group or volunteer setting.

One key to successful partnership building is to recognize and capitalize on the strengths of partners. In this regard, OPS expertise can be especially useful to groups concerned with problems of personal safety, residential security or crime in the neighborhood. Police officers are valuable resources as they provide skills, important information, support and encouragement.

Within or among partnering groups, there will be a diversity of interests:

• Long-time residents and newcomers will have different views of the community's needs and potential.
• Recent immigrants may still be struggling to communicate in English or French and to gain access to basic services while their children, more quickly socialized, bring home confusing new customs.
• The concerns of the local business community will be different from the residential community.

This very diversity - ability, age, gender, language, race, religion and sexual orientation - constitutes the partnership's strength, as each partner contributes its own expertise to complement that of the other partners. One organization may be good at fundraising, another at marketing and another at recruitment. Working together in partnership, they create a stronger, more effective whole. More importantly, partnerships become the natural way to address problems.

Once potential partners have been identified, one of the first tasks in forming a partnership is to develop a shared vision of what needs to be accomplished. That shared vision helps focus the efforts of diverse partners on solving the right problems effectively.

Below are some suggested guidelines for getting started. The list is not exhaustive, nor does it contain the definitive steps in establishing partnerships.

Action should start with the problem as it is perceived by a community or its residents. For example, if people say they fear petty theft more than assault, they will be willing to tackle petty theft before they take on assault - no matter what our crime analysis suggests. Of course, crime analysis will help people make informed decisions. Over time, the group's approach to prioritizing and dealing with problems will evolve as it gains experience.

Drawing on needs and concerns identified by the community, partners can identify both short-term and long-term goals. Beginning to work on short-term goals can provide incentives for others to act, build confidence and demonstrate a partnership's effectiveness. Such efforts also help forge relationships for the longer term. Beginning to work on long-term goals can provide a vision for the future as well as point to the need for everyone to commit to the task over the long haul.

Information from many sources can be helpful in identifying ways that different partners can tackle problems. What others in the community have done about similar problems, what people in other places have done, what resources are available to work with - each of these can help shape or inspire creative strategies. We call these best practices, and the Ottawa Police's focus on best practices will support the information sharing process. Of course, strategies developed elsewhere need to be customized to the local situation and circumstances.

Once a strategy (or plan) is in place, people should be encouraged to help carry out the action steps. The greater the level and extent of involvement, the more likely residents will be to develop self-confidence and pride in their efforts. In most cases, greater resident involvement will contribute to success. Recruiting is easier if there is already a record of success in meeting short-term goals and completing small-scale activities.

This helps build bonds among the partners and develops new talents and skills. Moreover, volunteer leaders can burn out; without a system that helps develop new leaders, there may be no one to take over. Effective leadership is critical for a group to work together successfully. The person chosen as group leader should have experience in, or receive training on, maintaining order, resolving conflict and defusing power struggles among group members.

Group activities require teamwork, patience, tolerance and a positive outlook. Roles and responsibilities must be clear, and everyone should play a part. All participants should know what their roles are and how they fit into the total effort. Tasks must be clearly spelled out, and expectations, jobs and skills should be reasonably well matched.

In many cases, differences in opinion will arise when dealing with important issues. These aren't situations to shy away from, but opportunities to work together. Addressing, rather than suppressing, conflict opens the lines of communication. It gets people talking to each other, and makes people feel like they're part of a team that cares. Conflict promotes compromise: people learn how to work harmoniously, come up with creative solutions to problems and reach outcomes that benefit everyone involved. Stay focused on solutions - the payoff is immediate and lasting.

Evaluation provides essential information to help in deciding whether to change course, expand the project, or discontinue it altogether. Evaluation also helps sell the project to the rest of the community and to others with similar problems. Evaluation need not be an extensive, exhaustive effort. It does need to be focused and objective.

Awards, proclamations, certificates of appreciation, T-shirts, block parties, picnics and publicity are among just a few of the ways to build energy, renew commitment and commemorate progress. The partner groups, their members and the community itself should be part of the celebration.

The partnership process is not always automatic or even easy. To begin with, some communities may see a police officer not only as an outsider, but as a mistrusted outsider. In such situations, Ottawa police officers face the delicate balancing act of communicating two very different messages: "I want to help you solve your problems; I want to work with you" and "If you break the law, I may have to arrest you."

Even if the officer is given the benefit of the doubt by some groups, others may continue to be skeptical and even hostile. Frequently, the only cure for this distrust is a combination of time, example and word-of-mouth:

• as police officers take time to know people and be known by them in neutral or positive settings;
• as they show by their actions that they care and will help; and
• as community members who work with them testify to the benefits of the relationship.

District Policing helps facilitate the face-to-face contact needed for relationship building. The Partnership In Action initiative will provide Ottawa Police and our officers with the framework, tools and expertise needed to build long-term, trusting partnerships. Over time and by working together, we can breakdown any barrier that blocks our progress in working together for a safer community.

Working as partners is not new. In Ottawa, the police, along with residents, businesses, municipal officials and other diverse groups and agencies, have worked together to address a wide variety of issues, including:

• break and enters,
• drug houses,
• graffiti,
• petty theft,
• prostitution and
• traffic concerns.

Some of these initiatives have been city-wide, while others covered a city block.

In Ottawa and beyond, programs designed by community groups are changing the quality of life in rural, suburban and urban areas, in neighborhoods and housing complexes, in schools and on playgrounds.

For example, community-based organization and the police have worked together to stop drug dealers from operating in neighbourhoods.

Strategies have included:

• vigils and rallies to help discourage drug dealers;
• increased police patrols;
• enlisting the help of non-profit groups to build affordable, owner-occupied homes around known problem areas; and
• recruiting the support of businesses and residents to tidy up the area and keep it clean.

No matter what the strategy, learning how others have dealt with the problem encourages new ideas.

In many cases, building upon the work of others or adopting successful partnership initiatives developed elsewhere provides a good starting point for new initiatives. Learning from others - or sharing best practices - often leads to innovative new ways to address areas of concern. The Ottawa Police encourages and supports the sharing of information. Meetings, training and the establishment of a database helps partners communicate across the City.

More work still needs to be done. If you've heard of an innovative initiative or would like to learn more about some of the best practices happening around the City, get involved in the Partnership In Action initiative - it can only work with your help.

For more information on Partnership in Action, contact us at 236-1222 extension 5565, e-mail us at PIA@ottawapolice.ca or visit your local community police centre.

Fostering partnerships takes determination and perseverance. The Ottawa Police Service is committed to building sustainable partnerships based on trust, confidence and mutual respect. With the introduction of District Policing in January 1999, the structure is in place to help foster partnerships at the local level. Each District is supported and encouraged to initiate dialogue with community members, businesses and agencies.

Although each District is free to determine the best way to build partnerships for its area, community meetings or presentations will continue to be an important part of OPS' overall strategy. Face-to-face contact allows police and community residents to meet to exchange information specific to the neighbourhood, identify crime and disorder problems and develop strategies to combat those problems.

• try to hold the meeting in the District, close to bus routes and with convenient parking nearby;
• the meeting place should be one that residents are comfortable coming to;
• the room should be large enough to comfortably accommodate participants and should be wheelchair accessible;
• seating should be arranged to encourage discussion by all those present movable chairs, arranged in a horseshoe pattern, is one good arrangement that works;
• discussion of problems should include residents, businesses and police; and
• a flip chart, chalkboard or laptops for recording the group's problem identification or analysis should be available.

At a minimum, each meeting should contain agenda items that cover the following:

1. Welcome and introduction of all participants
2. Feedback on progress made on problems since the last meeting
   • Discuss whether the current problem-solving strategies seem to be working, whether they need to be modified or whether the problem seems to have been sufficiently reduced or eliminated to justify moving to a new problem.
3. Discussion of current crime conditions and new problems
   • District personnel - the District Inspector or Neighbourhood Officers - present information about general crime conditions in the District.
   • New chronic problems are identified.
   • Determine whether the problem is significant enough to be addressed.
   • Generally the participants will be limited in the number of problems that they can work on at any one time.
4. Development of new strategies and coordination of responsibilities
   • Since there will not be time at the community meeting to talk about each strategy in detail, it is important that a facilitator be identified. This person will take responsibility for working with the interested participants to develop the strategy in greater detail and to organize the community's involvement.
5. 5. Next Community meeting date
   • Announce the date, time and place for the next meeting.
   • Schedule working groups for future problem-solving.
   • Most of the work on problem-solving strategies will take place outside the meeting.
   • Residents and police must be prepared to work on these chronic problems between meetings.

• Is it of concern to a number of residents/the meeting participants?
• Is it likely to go away on its own?
• Does it persist or return despite traditional policing efforts?
• Is it something that community, police and city agencies can impact with available resources?

At each meeting, ask for a presentation on the current crime conditions in the District. This includes the distribution of statistics, charts, etc. This will ensure you have the whole crime picture before you decide which problems to attack.

Once you become aware of all the problems, you may have information that would be helpful to residents and police as they analyze the problems and work on solutions.

Step 1: Scan - Identify and prioritize the problem

Step 2: Analysis - Analyze the problem from different perspectives (e.g., offenders, victims, location, etc.).

Step 3: Respond - Design strategies based on the analysis of the problem and implement the strategies this is the just do it aspect of problem solving.

Step 4: Assess - Evaluate and acknowledge success during this step, all of those involved review their successes. Which strategies worked? What challenges remain?

Problem solving resources are available. Neighbourhood and Emergency Response Officers, as well as other District personnel, have been trained on problem solving techniques. At the same time, OPS Crime Analysts maintain District statistics, comprehensive records of the characteristics, resources and chronic crime problems in each District to help the police and the community to prioritize problems and plan strategies. Community members can learn about problem solving techniques by becoming involved in your District.

Police Personnel are encouraged to contact the Community Development Section. For more information about how to get involved in community policing, community members are encouraged to call a Community Police Centre.