Mississauga Council deputation: MISSISSAUGAWATCH *OPPOSES* $199,627 Corporate Grant (upped to $318,075.00) for Safe City Mississauga to “celebrate” (invent) their Successes.
January 28th, 2010
Yesterday I was all prepped to go up in front of Mississauga Council to condemn the waste of giving Safe City Mississauga a Corporate Grant of $199,627. I’d hoped (silly me) that Council would acknowledge the complete lack of accountability at Safe City Mississauga and spend the $199,627 more wisely (as in effectively).
So what did they do?
Council actually increased Safe City’s funding! From $199,627 to $318,075.00 —$318,075.00 all for a municipal crime prevention initiative that has no more oversight than the rest of the City of Mississauga’s Corporate silos. Of course there’s more to this story (Freedom of Information documents) that I can’t reveal at this time.
Instead, today, just for the record, I’m posting the script of my deputation delivered at yesterday’s Corporate Grants meeting.
Also for the record, I never did tell Mississauga Council the real reason I opposed flushing $199,627 taxpayers dollars down the Corporate Crapper. Like so many other real reasons (aka Freedom of Information documents), I’m leaving that for another time.
Please note, the original script contained a factual error (“January 25, 1994″ which I noticed and corrected to “1995″ only at the podium before Council) and therefore differs slightly from my actual deputation. I also include the images shared before Mississauga Council.
TRANSCRIPT: MISSISSAUGA COUNCIL DEPUTATION (January 27, 2010) BEGINS
Good morning, Council. Thanks for providing me the opportunity today to speak about Item 5:
5. 1. That a 2010 Corporate Grant in the amount of $199,627 (actual grant of $199,627 less rent of $16,590 including GST) be awarded to Safe City Mississauga.
$199,627 —that’s a heck of a lot of money for —I’m not entirely sure what. And I need to raise that “For what?” issue today.
Back in December I took the “Sharpen Your Teeth III” three-day administrative watchdog course offered through the Ontario Ombudsman’s office. It was there that we were told that “Governments do not like to look back.”
Today though, before you hand out your Corporate Grant to Safe City Mississauga, I want to take this Government back to what I regard as seminal –The Base. For Everything.
It’s the Peel Youth Charter.
While the entire document is inspiring, there are two tenets that are most important to me because both commit to the Rights of Peel Youth to be heard.
The Charter states:
“We believe all Peel youth have the right to:
Be involved in policy, program and service development on issues that affect young people.
and,
“We believe all Peel youth have the right to:
Advocate, or to be advocated for on their behalf, on issues that affect young people.
Those two tenets are my primary focus because I see very little of either happening for the youth who need authentic involvement and advocacy the most. Those kids most “at-risk”.
The Peel Youth Charter then pledges:
These rights will apply without discrimination or prejudice to all youth in Peel.
By signing this charter we are committed to use our best efforts to ensure the safety, health, education and future employment of Peel’s youth.
Mayor McCallion and Councillor Mahoney pledged their best efforts on behalf of the City and the Mississauga Crime Prevention Association by signing that Charter.
“committed to use our best efforts”…
That was October 24, 2007. Over two years ago.
Indeed if Governments don’t like to look back, you’ll appreciate this Look Back even less.
This time going back to 1994 and the Peel Police Services Board November 17, 1994 (Youth) Community Summit – Final Report. I won’t read you the entire Executive Summary save for something that will sound familiar. Seems there was a Community Summit that year.
Most of the Councillors back in 1994 are still here today.
Councillors Corbasson, Mullin, Prentice, Dale, Iannicca, Mahoney and Saito.
Quote from Peel Police:
The Community Summit brought together various partners from the community to share what was already being done to maintain the safety and security of the area, to determine what more could and should be done, and how it could be achieved. It was the inception of a multi-disciplinary and integrated effort within the Region of Peel to address the root causes of crime.
So as far back as 1994 there was talk about a “multi-disciplinary and integrated effort within the Region of Peel to address the root causes of crime.”
and this quote:
The crux of the report, and the mandate of the Summit, required the community to take responsibility for ensuring safety and security, and to do so by addressing the underlying social issues contributing to crime.
And this should sound familiar as well:
The Community Summit took place on September 30 and October 1, 1994. Over 130 delegates, representing a wide cross-section of the community members, service providers, stakeholders, and political representatives, participated. Delegates pledged their commitment to the Summit’s objectives by signing a Declaration of Intent which read:
We, the undersigned, publicly declare our commitment to the fostering of a safe and secure community through local partnerships and initiatives, through a sense of ownership of both problems and solutions, and through pride in what has been and will be achieved in the Region of Peel.
What is that pledge but some forgotten 1994 stillborn-precursor of the Peel Youth Charter?
That 1994 Peel Police Services Board Community Summit Report had it all.
And here’s the most important part, the #1 Recommendation from our Peelers.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1: Crime Prevention
Delegates recommend that crime prevention initiatives be unique and tailored to local communities. It is recognized that the two existing Crime Prevention Associations are the best vehicle for program development and implementation. A process of accountability and evaluation should be built into programs to ensure achievement of goals and cost-effectiveness.
1994 and “A process of accountability and evaluation should be built into programs to ensure achievement of goals and cost-effectiveness” has yet to happen.
Fast-forward to 2008 and all any agency that receives funding is required to do (indeed encouraged to do) is “celebrate their successes.” And I’m here to say even invent their successes.
As part of my research I went to the City Clerk’s office to determine if these Peel Police Service’s Board Summit Report recommendations ever reached Mississauga Council.
They did. At the January 25, 1995 General Committee meeting. That’s 15 years ago almost to the day.
The January 1995 minutes state:
“The recommendations arrived at during the 1994 community summit were noted, mainly: that crime prevention be tailored to local community needs, and that an evaluation process is necessary.
“and that an evaluation process is necessary.”
Fast forward to 2007 and let’s check out Mississauga’s Community partner, Safe City Brampton.
Take a look at what Brampton spent in 2007 on their Safe City Brampton —over $397,000!
Here’s the actual Safe City Brampton Year End Expenses document secured through Freedom of Information.
Check out the middle highlighted in yellow. Over $397,000 spent on Safe City Brampton and zero for “Program Evaluation”. Not a penny.
1994 –Peel Police knew what’s what –and in 2009 “a process of accountability and evaluation” remains zero in both Safe City Brampton and Safe City Mississauga programs.
Simple arithmetic. Safe City Mississauga is set to receive $199, 627 and when you consider $397,000 in 2007 for Safe City Brampton and you’re talking 600-thou right there.
And plus there’s the funding/expenses of the parallel Peel Youth Violence Prevention Network Initiative (I guess we could call that Safe Region Peel). How much money for that? I haven’t a clue. But I do know how much is committed to “a Peel process of accountability and evaluation”. Zero.
If Brampton and Mississauga are not going to commit to Authentic Accountability then don’t spend 600-thou!
I look at the combined $600,000 of Safe City Brampton and Safe City Mississauga and I remember being told that a Peel Regional Police officer (equipment/car) costs $110,000. That $600,000 for those two Safe City programs would get us four fully-equipped Peel Police officers —and the cars for them to ride in on.
And there’d still be $150,000 approx left over.
And forgive me but that’s the part I don’t get. I’ve tried and tried and tried to understand why Brampton and Mississauga have these Safe City programs at the cost of four Peel Regional Police officers that could be Youth officers —and I mean real Youth advocates.
“A process of accountability and evaluation should be built into programs to ensure achievement of goals and cost-effectiveness.” –Peel Police Services Board 1994.
There’s one other quote I need to share in closing. I found it visionary. The words of Larry Zacher, Safe City Brampton at the October 25, 2007 Peel Regional Council meeting.
Mr. Zacher stated:
“The absolute best thing we can do in the community is to provide seamless care for our children from the day they’re born til the time they become responsible adults.”
“seamless care” Perfection!
I hate to end on a Negative but Freedom of Information confirms that “seamless care” is no more out the starting gate than a “process of accountability and evaluation built into programs to ensure achievement of goals and cost-effectiveness”.
And in my opinion that is the tragic gap and I submit that it’s also a contributing Root of Youth Violence. I don’t have any answers. It’s kind of a moot presentation right now¹ I’m just satisfied that I got it into the records today.
¹ Note: Council had passed a resolution just prior to my deputation that they would actually increase funding to Safe City Mississauga from $199,627 to $318,075.00.
TRANSCRIPT: MISSISSAUGA COUNCIL DEPUTATION (January 27, 2010) ENDS
And there you have it. Another deputation that’s backfired. By far my worst backfire (unlikely to be equaled) was me complaining to Mississauga Council about City of Mississauga Corporate Security not having a complaints system. And then the City gave me one…)
Don’t know how many of you wondered why I kept repeating Peel Police’s 1994 recommendation that “A process of accountability and evaluation should be built into programs to ensure achievement of goals and cost-effectiveness” in my deputation. One reason and one alone. So that the Mayor or any Councillor could legitimately claim that my concern was too subtle!
My next Blog will be a transcript of Mississauga Councillor George Carlson’s response to my deputation where he completely avoided my testimony that “A process of accountability and evaluation should be built into programs to ensure achievement of goals and cost-effectiveness” ain’t remotely there!
UPDATE: January 31, 2010. Please see the follow-up Blog, “Safe City Mississauga/Mississauga Crime Prevention Association: Inventing Successes since ?…” for a transcript of Mississauga’s Council’s response to my deputation
Signed,
The (the image below is dedicated to City of Mississauga Community Services) Mississauga Muse
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