Crimesense Magazine - Fall 2014 - Ottawa

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INSIDE COVER STORY

It takes a community to raise a child ______________

Regardless of where the community is, the solution to crime is the same: the residents of the community need to become involved and take ownership for its safety.

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Jennifer’s Story

A thank you to the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre

Crime Prevention Ottawa has advice for parents

...on sexual violence

Protecting women against sexual and violent crimes

... to safe winter driving

The good and the bad of the younger generation

You can help us solve crimes

10 The Drug Dilemma

12 Drawing the Line...

16 Not Just A Woman’s Issue 23 9 Essentials...

40 Do Genitals Determine Gender?

The journey of Jesse Jepson

Health and community services

Security through communication

Fighting false accusations in a court of law

47 Carefor

51 AIPHONE

54 Paul Lewandowski

27 The Changing Portrait of Canadian Youth 37 Crime Stoppers

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EDITOR & PUBLISHER Jacques Beauchamp Former Regional Police Office EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Christine Panasuk CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jonathan Beauchamp PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jonathan Beauchamp GRAPHICS & ART www.DESIGNit.CA PRINTED IN ONTARIO, CANADA The Lowe-Martin Group

SAY HELLO Share your comments or suggestions with Jacques by sending him an email at: jacques@vantagepublishing.ca

- est 1990 -

Crimesense is published by Vantage Publishing Group Corp. and distributed free, all rights reserved. Contents and photographs may not be reprinted without written permission. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors and publication shall not be deemed to mean they are necessarily those of Vantage Publishing Group Corp. or other affiliated organizations.

The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 41927547 ISSN 1927-3142

CONTRIBUTORS Sonya Strohm Dani-Elle DubĂŠ Tony Palermo ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Don Holt Thomas Easton Daniel Cole Ryan Berube

Crimesense Magazine (Print) ISSN 1927-3150 Crimesense Magazine (Online)

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Šcopyright thinkstockphotos.com | Hemera

I want to share with you a chapter in the life story of my daughter, Jennifer, which also included my life and the life of our family.

What can I tell you of my daughter? As minds often do, you may already have thoughts of a happy, smiling girl growing up playing with her friends and with her dolls and happy to go to school.

While you are not far off the truth, the days turned into years and she changed from that happy, little girl into a teenager who I almost didn’t recognize.

When my daughter, Jennifer, reached 17, I discovered she was using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis. That spring, things really started to change. I watched my daughter selfdestruct. She changed from the fun-loving girl I knew to someone with no energy and no enthusiasm. She was high or looking for her next high.

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I was worried sick that my little girl would never find her way back.

And I, as her mother, didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t talk about it because I was so embarrassed and so ashamed. I thought I was a failure.

But of course, our story does not end there…

I became a mother who stood by the sidelines waiting to pick up the pieces.

The substance abuse had taken hold and Jennifer was in a losing battle. But she came to me one morning, after a night of partying and told me that she didn’t want to do it anymore and wanted to go into residential treatment.

And there were times where I literally picked my daughter up out of ditches where she was lying there immobile because she was so stoned. There were times where I would drive around the city looking for her. There were frantic, crazy phone calls where I would be yelling for her to come home.

She made the decision to give up going to her prom because she realized she needed help now. Her life depended on it and she needed to go now.

I was living in chaos. Jennifer was living in chaos.

I did the only thing I could do – I researched and found the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre. My daughter reluctantly agreed to see a counsellor and I enrolled in Parent Education Program and started my own counseling.

The Centre taught me about crisis management, different communication styles and other techniques and strategies to help keep me sane. I had a binder of information with tips for coping and managing.

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Every week I was taught something new and I slowly started to breathe again. And Jennifer was receiving counseling during the day.

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I realized, as I started to share Jennifer’s story of substance abuse, that some of my shame and guilt disappeared. This is important to tell you because before she left for residential treatment, I held a small graduation party with close friends and family.

She wore her prom dress that day. It was the only time she wore it.

My daughter did graduate Grade 12 and she was able to attend her graduation ceremony, thanks to the councillors at the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre. A councillor

drove her to her high school so she was able to walk across the stage and accept her diploma with the rest of her graduating class. That was an extremely emotional day for everyone in our family.

and English. She wants to pursue a career in the field of education. She volunteers in the Student Office at Carleton and at the Humane Society.

And it was a turning point for me. I was no longer embarrassed.

I went from feeling ashamed to feeling extremely proud.

She is living a healthy, balanced life. She expresses herself and accepts herself. She is continually learning about herself and she continues to grow as a person.

My daughter needed help and she was finally accepting help. She was scared and so strong at the same time. She chose this path to get better. I couldn’t be more proud.

Without a doubt, this journey has made Jennifer a stronger individual. It has made me a stronger individual and our family has come together again.

Jennifer came home from residential three months later.

She was a new person. She had three months of continuous therapy and she learned so much about herself.

She learned how to communicate. She learned how to set boundaries. She gained confidence. Her self-esteem skyrocketed. She was accepting of herself.

She still had her struggles and ups and downs but she was working with new tools that would help her. She continued post-care treatment with the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre and started seeing a psychologist as well.

AND NOW — WHAT IS JENNIFER DOING NOW?

DAVE SMITH YOUTH TREATMENT CENTRE SAVED MY DAUGHTER’S LIFE. I ask that you join me in helping youth who are going through what my daughter, Jennifer, did. I hope you help me to build a dream for a better future for all of the kids who are in treatment now and for those that will need it in the future.

Our youth deserve a second chance. Their families deserve a chance to repair what has been lost. CS

Your support could not only save a young life in crisis, it could help rebuild a broken family. Please join me in supporting the Dave’s Dream Campaign by making a gift to the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre Foundation. www.davesmithfoundation.org Thank you for your time today.

She has graduated from Algonquin College with a certificate in Community Studies. And she is now in Year 3 of an Honors Program at Carleton University studying Sociology

Sincerely, Cathy

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re you worried that your teen may be taking drugs or becoming interested in trying them? Whether you live in an urban or rural, wealthy or low-income neighbourhood, your children have access to illegal drugs. Being informed and engaged can serve as your best defense.

Teens can be exposed to drugs at school, on the streets, at home and in clubs. We all know the risks associated with drug use can be very serious. The consequences include health problems, addiction, damage to relationships, criminal activity and legal problems.

How to deal with drugs So, what can you do about drugs before your teen gets started—or before it gets serious?

• Listen to your kids and their friends.

• Keep the lines of communication open so you can talk about drugs.

• Be aware of the different types of drugs, their effects and any signs of drug use.

• Learn about the resources available to help your child and your family.

• Involve and engage your teenager in positive social activities— sports, neighbourhood clubs, youth centres and school groups.

Talking to teens about drugs Many people think that talking to children about drugs will only increase their interest in trying them. Studies have proven that the opposite is true. It is important for parents to create open lines of communication with their kids at a young age and to talk to them about drugs, addiction and how these affect people’s lives in negative ways. Children and teens need the tools to make good decisions early.

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The National Anti-Drug Strategy offers these tips for talking to your teen about drugs: • Listen to your teenager’s concerns and take his or her questions seriously.

• Continue or develop the habit of talking regularly with your child on a variety of subjects. This will make it easier to discuss the issue of drug use when the time comes.

• Start early and get ahead of the questions. Start talking about drugs as soon as your child learns about their existence through friends, the media and the people around them.

• Your child should learn about the dangers of drugs from parents first. They benefit from getting a first perspective on drug use from parents, because it serves as the starting point for forming their own opinion in the future.

• Be clear on where you stand. Successful communication with your teenager requires clear ideas.

Your teenager needs to understand that you have a definite position on drugs and that his or her behaviour will be measured against that position.

Resources to help you Remember, better awareness will allow your children to make informed choices when temptation or peer pressure arises. The following excellent resources can help guide your discussions: • National Anti-Drug Strategy: Talking With Your Teen About Drugs (see nationaldrugstrategy.gc.ca) • Ottawa Student Drug Use and Health Report 2014 (see ottawa.ca) • Partnership for Drug-Free Kids: Parent Toolkit (see drugfree.org/the-parent-toolkit/) • Recovery Connection: Talking to Your Child About Drugs (see recoveryconnection.org)

©copyright thinkstockphotos.com | OSTILL

Do you want to learn more about keeping your family safe? Take a look at Crime Prevention Ottawa’s Neighbourhood Toolkit at crimepreventionottawa.ca/toolkit.

This valuable resource offers information to help you stay safe, build stronger neighbourhoods and prevent crime in your community. CS

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Šcopyright thinkstockphotos.com | iStock

A BYSTANDER APPROACH TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE PREVENTION The majority of sexual violence prevention programs to date have focused almost exclusively on either risk reduction for potential victims (e.g., teaching women strategies to reduce their risk of assault) or targeting of potential perpetrators (e.g., targeting men to change their attitudes and prevent them from assaulting). Limitations to these approaches has led to the more recent call for prevention programs based on a paradigm of broader community responsibility, or what is commonly referred to as a bystander approach to intervention. The bystander approach supports a move from instilling fear in potential victims and increasing defensive resistance among men, to building competency in community members who may face opportunities to prevent or interrupt sexual violence as well as to support survivors (Banyard, 2004).

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THE DRAW-THE-LINE CAMPAIGN

that assists newcomer families in achieving successful settlement in Canada and is uniquely positioned to carry out this work. The agency has expertise and experience in English language training, employability and business start-up, and comprehensive settlement programs for men, women, children and seniors.

The Draw-the-Line campaign engages bystanders to change attitudes and behaviours that perpetuate sexual violence.

Draw the Line is a province-wide campaign created by Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes (AOCVF) and the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres (OCRCC). Launched as part of Sexual Assault Prevention Month in May 2012, the campaign drives people to Drawthe-line.ca/tracons-les-limites.ca, where they can place themselves in different scenarios of sexual violence and choose how to respond. Take, for example, the scenario where a friend sends you a naked picture of a girl he knows. Posing the question, “is it a big deal to share it with others?” the campaign aims to help people understand why it is important to draw the line on sexual violence, when to do so, and how to intervene safely and effectively. The campaign drew from evidence-based research on best practices in public education for the prevention of sexual violence. It also incorporated input from sexual assault centres and other experts in the violence against women prevention sector.

NEWCOMER CENTRE OF PEEL’S DRAW-THE-LINE PROJECT

Since early 2013, Newcomer Centre of Peel (NCP) has been working to expand the Draw the Line campaign through outreach to adult and youth newcomers, translation of materials into multiple languages, and the creation of new resources to address a range of sexual violence issues that exist in different communities. NCP is a multi-service agency

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In the summer and fall of 2013 Newcomer Centre of Peel hosted its first Draw-the-Line Certificate Series, designed to educate youth about sexual violence as well as challenge common myths and teach effective bystander intervention.

In addition to learning about how to intervene, youth also learned about the need for free, informed and mutual consent, and how to express empathy and support to survivors of sexual violence. The curriculum was delivered in six parts and drew from the Draw-the-Line Guidebook (available free of charge at http://www.draw-the-line.ca/ content/show-your-line). Each part consisted of a two-hour long workshop focused on the following six different forms of sexual violence and made use of interactive and engaging activities to facilitate discussion (e.g., videos, games, dramatic improvisation): • • • • • •

online sexual harassment; societal norms; sexual assault by a person of authority; marital/domestic rape; workplace sexual harassment; alcohol-related assault.

By focusing on these six different forms, participating youth were able to learn how sexual violence is best understood as a continuum of actions and behaviours. The notion of a continuum is based on a perspective that recognizes different forms of sexual violence not as distinct, but each being connected. At one end of the continuum are actions and behaviours that include more obvious forms of violence, such as sexual assault and rape, and at the other end of the continuum are more commonly accepted or seemingly harmless behaviours. These include, for example, sexually degrading jokes and language, sexually violent media images, pornography, and harassment. A continuum framework serves to recognize that, although the range of sexually violent behaviours escalates in severity, each is linked. Furthermore, the less severe forms of violence need to be taken seriously since they contribute

to a culture that both tolerates and supports devaluing and objectification of women, as well as perpetuate more severe forms of violence. To give an example, in the workshop on societal norms, youth were asked to think about whether or not they should be financially supporting artists whose music promotes rape culture (e.g., through messaging that suggests “no doesn’t always mean no”).

Workshops promoted thinking about how one might act if they were to find themselves as a bystander in a situation of sexual violence. Emphasis was placed on strategizing a range of different responses, as it was recognized that what might be considered a comfortable response for one person might be very uncomfortable (or even dangerous) for the next. This promoted a great discussion about how one’s social location (e.g., race, class, gender etc.) plays a role when making the decision about how to safely and effectively intervene.

In total, 57 youth participated in the series, with 28 youth attending at least four sessions and earning a certificate of achievement for their dedication to the program and bystander intervention training. Given the educational component of our program, volunteer hours were awarded to those participating, and could contribute to the total number of community service hours required for high school students to successfully graduate. Students who attended all six sessions earned a total of 12 community service volunteer hours. At the end of the program, all participants reported that they increased their understanding of sexual violence prevention, and felt better equipped to not look away from sexual violence when they see it happen, as well as better equipped to know what to say and do. The positive feedback we received from participants encourages us to think about how we can continue engaging them on these topics. We highly encourage others to interact with the campaign and to take advantage of the free resources that are provided to help open the dialogue on sexual violence prevention. See www.draw-the-line.ca for resources and more information. CS

REFERENCES: Banyard, V.L., Plante, E.G., & Moynihan, M.M. (2004). Bystander education: Bringing a broader community perspective to sexual violence prevention.

Journal of Community Psychology, 32, 62-79. doi: 10.1002/jcop.10078 s u p p o rt i n g o u r a dv e rt i s e r s s u p p o rt s c r i m e s e n s e

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Šcopyright thinkstockphotos.com | mark wragg

NOT JUST

A WOMEN’S ISSUE

By Dani-Elle Dubé

When Lisa* and Katie* showed up at their friend’s house in a University of Ottawa student ghetto, they hadn’t even taken their shoes off before they were handed a bong. They took a hit...

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he girls, both 17, were then lead to the kitchen where they were each given a drink. That’s when Chris*, 26, walked into the room and caught Lisa’s attention. She was intrigued by his shaved head, obviously died red Goetee,

piercings and tattoos. He definitely gave off that “bad boy” vibe that she had always been attracted to.

Talking turned into flirting and a little while later, Chris invited her into his room to show her “something”. But she never saw that “something”. Instead, he turned on his sound system and blasted heavy metal music, went back over to Lisa and they began kissing. One thing lead to another and soon enough he was on top of her. But what began as consensual sex quickly turned into something different.

“While we were having sex he asked me if he could do anal. I told him no because I wasn’t comfortable doing it. So he turned up his music and we kept going. Then he asked me if I was into bondage. I wanted to impress him so I told him I was ok with it.

He tied my hands together in front of me with a scarf that he had. He then turned me over on my side and held my hands down.”

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That’s when Chris proceeded to force anal on Lisa, the act that she clearly opposed. She tried yelling for help but the loud music drowned out her cries. When she mustered up the energy to scream louder, he muffled her with a pillow.

“It was very painful. I was screaming and crying for him to stop. There was blood everywhere. He was so aggressive.”

And just as sudden as it started, it was over. “He was so casual about it. He didn’t say a word. He just got up, put his clothes on and left the room. That was it.”

But before she could put herself together and go to Katie for help, Chris had already gotten a head start on the crowd. “When I got out of the room everyone was looking at me. Katie had this sly smile on her face and teased me about it.”

Lisa didn’t say a word.

How could she? People had already made up their minds. “I drank, I smoked and I agreed to sleep with him. I put myself in that situation. There’s nothing I could say.”

Although Lisa’s story is just one example, recent events in the news have revealed a different side of student life that is affecting young women. What these events have shown is that the city, its citizens and campuses are still unprepared for women’s safety and may still take on an outdated approach to a very prevalent subject.

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The University of Ottawa has been at the centre of two sexual crime scandals this year. First, the president of the Student Federation, Anne-Marie Roy, was the subject of a sexually explicit conversation between five of her male colleagues where hypothetical violent sexual scenarios involving Roy were described.

Second, the university’s men’s hockey team was suspended after members of the team were accused — and now charged — with the sexual assault of a Lakehead University student in Thunder Bay. Carleton University has also had its fair share of time in the news. In 2007, a 23-year-old female student was beat up, tied and sexually assaulted in a science lab. In 2011, an unknown assailant sexually touched a female student.

A month later, another female student experienced the same thing while walking through campus tunnels.

Overall, women are 11 times more likely than men to be sexaually victimized and the odds increase with certain socio-demographic factors, lifestyle behaviours and community characteristics.

Lisa’s story is all too common. In fact, according to the Ontario Women’s Directorate, 7,979 women were victims of police-reported sexual assault crimes in 2012 in Ontario. But because violent and sexual crimes against women are often not reported, the number is estimated to be higher. And of those women, most are young women between 15 and 24 years.

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A CAMPUS PROBLEM

The Ontario Women’s Directorate reports that up to 25 per cent of college and university-aged women will be victims of sexual assault during their academic careers. The Canadian Federation of Students in Ontario (CFSO) adds that many on-campus sexual assaults occur during the first eight weeks of classes.

Sexual assaults, according to the Directorate, often occur in a private place but can also happen at public functions, like a party.

Sergeant Cori Slaughter of the Ottawa Police runs the Street proofing for Women’s safety workshop. She says that date rape drugs and knowing how to protect against them is often a popular subject requested by women. And the number one date rape drug used by perpetrators, according to Crime Prevention Ottawa and the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, is alcohol, and over half of sexual assaults against postsecondary students involve it or other types of drugs.

WOMEN AT RISK Statistics Canada confirms that women are more likely to be victims of violent crimes, most of them sexually based.

According to the Ontario Women’s Directorate, one in three Canadian women will experience sexual assault in their adult life while 39 per cent already report having experienced at least one sexual assault event since the age of 16. Often the perpetrator is a man the victim knows.

“We have to take away the perception that if something happened to them that they’re to blame,” Overall, women are 11 times more likely than men to be sexually victimized and the odds increase with certain socio-demographic factors, lifestyle behaviours and community characteristics. Those who are most at risk of non-spousal violence are young single women who frequent evening activities, used drugs and live in a community with social disorder.

But that’s not to say that women who don’t fit the description aren’t at risk. In the end, Slaughter says, sexual assault is a crime of power and control.

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So, even though single women are four times more likely to experience violent victimization, women in relationships are also at risk. Almost one in five reported sexual offences against women happen with an intimate partner, according to the CFS.

PROTECTING YOURSELF Protecting women against sexual and violent crimes starts with the community. For both Slaughter and Tara Henderson, public educator at Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, that means dispelling myths associated with sexual assault.

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Despite these statistics, Slaughter assures that Ottawa is a safe city. “Based on what we’ve seen with other cities, I know women and people in Ottawa have a very good reason to feel safe. What we want to do is educate and it’s not necessarily women that we need to be educating, it’s the entire community. It’s a community issue.”

“We have to take away the perception that if something happened to them that they’re to blame,” explains Slaughter. “There’s a huge number of myths involved and people often buy into them. These myths often suggest that men are incapable of making decisions rationally and that they’re completely driven by the sexual urge and that’s not the case at all.”

And in her workshops, Slaughter focuses on teaching women what she calls the “Three A’s of personal safety: awareness, assessment and assertion.” These three elements are the basis of the course’s teachings:

1. Awareness: Know where you’re going and ask yourself if you need everything that you’re bringing with you will limit vulnerability. When people are unsure, they’re body language will send that message.

2. Assessment: Know what you have available to you when weapons of opportunity are needed. Also know how to lower your heart rate in alarming situations so you can better assess a situation.

3. Assertion: Eye contact is key. Don’t look away when someone is approaching. This way you’re able to properly identify a threat as well as not giving off a feeling of vulnerability.

A CITY ISSUE The Ottawa Police’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section identify an average of 375 victims every year.

Breaking it down by city ward, the 2011-2012 Crime Trends report by the Ottawa Police shows that the Rideau-Vanier ward continues to have the most incidents of assault (including sexual assaults). However, the We s t - C a r l e t o n - M a r c h ward shows the highest percentage increase in number of attacks.

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But a study by the Pincrest-Queensway Community Health Centre (PQCHC) and City for All Women Initiative (CAWI) in Ottawa depicts another reality. The study observed a group of women and girls as they explored and measured their feelings of safety within public spaces.

“Women and girls do fear violence and for their own safety in both the public and private spheres,” the report reads. “Participants said that the types of violence they fear most are when gunshots are heard, sexual harassment, rape, being followed and being jumped.” And often enough, these women feared these events because they had already experienced them.

As for whether or not Henderson finds Ottawa streets to be safe, “We want it to be. We’re working towards that objective. But the experiences of sexual assault and harassment are very high…and about two-thirds of incidents still go unreported.”

Like Lisa’s story. Lisa’s reasons are her own for not going to the police, but she takes on a different perspective today. “It diminishes you to the lowest form of a human you can be. It’s like you don’t matter, you’re not even worthy of air anymore.

When someone has taken away all of your power that way, it’s really hard to believe you have any left to get justice. But if this happened to a friend today, I would tell her to go to the police. It’s important for you to get justice and prevent it from happening to other women.” CS _____________________ * Names changed to protect identities

300 McGill Street Peterborough, Ontario Canada K9J 1W5

Phone: 705 743-3911 Email: branson@bransonmachine.com • hepburn@bransonmachine.com

www.bransonmachine.com

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Motorists can stay safe in the winter by driving safely. These tips can help you and your family get around safely over the winter season.

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Be aware and be cautious.

Weather conditions can deteriorate quickly or change as you travel.

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Slow down.

Posted speed limits reflect ideal conditions, not wet or snowy conditions.

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Avoid sudden turns of the steering wheel, and sudden braking and accelerating that could cause a skid.

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See and be seen.

Always clear ice and snow from all vehicle windows to maximize visibility, and turn on your vehicle’s full lighting system when blowing snow and white-outs impair your visibility.

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Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. On slippery road surfaces, double the two-second rule.

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Avoid situations where you may have to break suddenly on a slippery surface.

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Make sure you know how to use your braking system in all weather and road conditions.

Allow more time to get to your destination.

Extra time is required to negotiate snow-covered roads.

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Your vehicle’s tire treads should be in good condition and you should always have plenty of windshield washer fluid to assist with visibility.

Re-printed with permission from OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE Source: www.ottawapolice.ca

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By Dani-Elle Dube

It’s easy to get caught up in the stereotypes put forth by society, especially when it comes to younger generations.

But things are slowly changing. Today’s youth are taking care of themselves more and more, but are still lacking in certain areas of overall personal healthcare. However, it still seems that the negatives still outweigh the positives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) looked at health trends among Canadian youth aged 10 to 19 with a report released earlier this year and what health challenges our country’s youth is facing today.

THE GOOD

• Canadian youth smoking rates are down and are among the lowest in the world • Marijuana use is also down • More youth are eating fruits and vegetables on a daily basis

THE BAD

• Although marijuana use is down, Canada still has the highest proportion of teens who have tried in compared to other countries in the world • Depression is the leading cause of disability and illness in Canadian youth • Youth are still not got getting the daily recommended amount of daily physical activity • Measles outbreaks in Canada are on the rise because immunization rates are declining CS

©copyright thinkstockphotos.com | istock

Check out crimesensemag.com for more

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By Tony Palermo

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n a show of force, several Ottawa Police officers walk through a west-end Ottawa Community Housing project on a warm September evening. The members are part of the Direct Action Response Team (DART), a specialized frontline group of cops who are part of the larger Guns & Gangs unit. Unlike regular patrol officers who respond to all sorts of calls for service, DART officers focus solely on providing street-level enforcement and suppression of gang and firearm related activities.

“We always travel in numbers,” explains Sgt. Marco Dinardo, a 16-year veteran cop. “Whether it’s through a lower-income neighborhood or elsewhere, we deal with gang members who have a tendency for violence, so (for us) there is safety in numbers.”

The officers come across a young male, smoking, who looks like he belongs in early grade school. None of the officers recognize him, so they walk over and say hi.

“How’s it going this evening?” asks one of the officers.

The kid takes a drag from his cigarette. “Fine,” he says as smoke escapes his mouth.

“Do you live in the neighbourhood?” asks the cop.

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______________ Outdoor community mural projects help empower youth through the arts and support graffiti prevention, community safety and the beautification of Ottawa Community Housing neighbourhoods.

“I don’t need to tell you that,” says the kid, and he looks away.

The officer laughs. “Hey, chill. None of us recognize you so we’re just wondering who you are and why you’re here.”

“Whatever,” says the kid, and takes another drag from his cigarette, still not making eye contact with any of the officers. A small group of girls giggle in the distance and nod their heads in agreement.

Another officer attempts to engage the youth. “Are you even old enough to smoke?”

The kid doesn’t answer him. One of the girls takes a half-step back and puts her hands on her hips.

Eyebrows arched, she cocks her head towards the officer and glares at him.

The cop tries a different question.

“What’s your name?”

The kid looks up at him. “I don’t need to tell you that either.” He takes another drag from his cigarette and smiles at the girls.

The officer goes on to explain that, yes, actually he does need to identify himself – that in the interest of keeping the community safe, Ottawa Community Housing has granted Ottawa Police officers “agent status” to act on behalf of the landlord.

“What this means is that if we can’t find a reason for you being here, then we can issue you a Trespass to Property notice and remove you from here,” explains the officer.

The kid becomes more animated and waves his hand in the air. “For what? Just standing here?”

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“No,” replies the cop. “For playing the tough guy and not helping us understand whether you belong here.

Last chance. Who are you and do you live here?”

The kid remains defiant and stares off into the distance.

“Put the cigarette out and put your hands behind your back,” says the cop. “You’re under an arrest.”

Amazingly, the kid immediately complies with the order, but as the officers move in to gain control of him, he starts to put up a small resistance, apparently more for show than anything else.

Regardless of where the community is, the solution to crime is the same: the residents of the community need to become involved and take ownership for its safety.

One of the officers, who stands at least two feet taller and easily outweighs the kid by hundred pounds stares down hard at him. “Don’t be stupid,” says the cop. “I can easily squeeze you in my back pocket. Behave and we’ll get this sorted out.”

As two of the officers lead the kid down a path towards their cruiser, intense yelling in the distance gets everyone’s attention. An older teenage male is running towards the group and he’s closing in fast.

“But he’s my younger brother,” he screams. “He’s just a f****** 14-year-old kid, man.”

“Well your brother is not acting like a 14-year-old-kid,” says Dinardo. “If he wants act older, he’s going to be treated older.”

The older brother immediately produces identification and begs Dinardo to let his younger sibling go.

Dinardo explains that his brother will be released in a few minutes once they confirm who he is, and uses the opportunity to lecture the older kid on his responsibilities as an older brother.

Minutes later, the younger kid comes strutting around the corner and smiles at his older brother.

“I told you I’d be back soon,” he says. As the two brothers walk off, he waves to the officers without looking their way, and dismisses them with a “later.”

One of the arresting officers shakes his head. “As soon as we got him in the back of the cruiser and away from everyone, he started crying and told us everything we needed to know.”

A group of officers order him to stop and move in quickly to form a barrier between him and the youth being led away.

“That’s my f****** brother,” screams the older kid. “Get your f****** hands off of him.”

The younger kid becomes more agitated and starts to put up a little more resistance again. “It’s OK bro, they’re just checking me out,” he yells as he’s led further away.

“I ain’t got nothin’ on me. I’ll be back soon.”

After preventing the older kid from running past them, Dinardo looks hard at him.

“What’s the matter with you?” he asks.

“You don’t come running and screaming at a group of police officers and ignore their orders to stop.”

______________ DART officers conduct a compliance check to verify if a resident is abiding by their judicial conditions.

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______________ Outdoor community mural projects help empower youth through the arts and support graffiti prevention, community safety and the beautification of Ottawa Community Housing neighbourhoods.

TACKLING GUNS AND GANG CRIME In 2013, Crime Prevention Ottawa and its partners released a 3-year plan to tackle the growing concern about youth involvement in gang activity and the overall harmful effect of gangs in Ottawa. The plan, titled Ottawa Gang Strategy, A Roadmap for Action, 2013-2016, takes a holistic, integrated approach in four identified key areas: neighbourhood cohesion, prevention, intervention and suppression.

In September 2014, Crime Prevention Ottawa released a one-year progress report. Using statistics provided by the Ottawa Police Service, the report says in 2013 there were 30 reported shootings, though not necessarily all gang related.

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Gang related or not, by September 2014 when the oneyear progress report was released, Ottawa had already hit the 30-shooting mark. Clearly, gun crime still remains a problem everyone is struggling to address.

Stephane Giguere is the chief executive officer of Ottawa Community Housing (OCH), the largest social housing provider in Ottawa which services approximately 32,000 people living across 15,000 units in various communities throughout the city. Giguere says OCH communities are a very safe place to live and that any crime, whether it occurs in an OCH community or elsewhere, is a concern for a community’s residents. And, regardless of where the community is, Giguere says the solution to crime is the same: the residents of the community need to become involved and take ownership for its safety.

“Cameras and guards have limitations,” explains Giguere. “The best approach is for the residents to be proactive, take pride and ownership of their community, and make sure they know who their neighbours are. When you don’t know the people in your community, there is more risk to the safety of that community.”

______________ A Ottawa Community Housing security officer takes some time out to shoot hoops with the neighbourhood kids.

Giguere says delivering this message to residents, and encouraging them to work with each other and other community partners is a huge OCH investment.

He says it’s an ongoing effort that takes time but brings great returns. As an example, he points to a recent shooting in one OCH neighbourhood where it was neighbours from the community who identified and reported a vehicle not normally seen in the area, ultimately leading police to a suspect.

Community groups sometimes say ‘it’s not that bad’ when they talk about guns and gangs,” says Sgt. Dinardo. “Well, shootings are a big deal. In this particular case, it happened in the middle of the afternoon where there were kids running around and playing.

For its part, OCH has its own Safety Services team of nearly 30 security officers who proactively patrol the neighbourhoods to promote safety and engage the tenants in conversation. Giguere says these officers provide a valuable boots-to-ground link to the community that helps build trust between OCH and its tenants; and this has gone a long way to encouraging residents to be the eyes and ears to the community to help promote safety.

“Crime is complex but it all boils down to residents taking ownership of their own community and having a sense of pride of where they live,” explains Giguere.

“As soon as the community becomes involved and takes ownership of safety, crime goes down.”

COMMUNITY SAFETY: A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY Robynn Collins is a crime prevention specialist and community health worker at Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre (PQCHC), a community group that works directly with OCH communities. She agrees with Giguere and says community safety is a collective responsibility. The trouble, she says, is two-fold: one, people don’t want to report crime for fear of being labelled a rat, and two, for those who do report crime, they may not be reporting it to all of the right people.

Safety Services has a call centre that handles all of the incoming calls, and provides tracking numbers for people to be able to follow-up on their call. The call centre also allows residents to engage in confidential conversations, recognizing that not everyone in the community is comfortable talking face-to-face with one of its security officers.

OCH and its partners also engage residents in various community-related initiatives and beautification projects to help foster a sense of ownership and pride in the community. s u p p o rt i n g o u r a dv e rt i s e r s s u p p o rt s c r i m e s e n s e

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“For instance, if they live in an OCH community they might call the police but they should also call the OCH security team,” explains Collins. “Unfortunately, organizations don’t always get briefings from one another.”

Collins says in addition to the fear of retaliation or being labelled a rat, another reason people don’t report crime is fear from being marginalized and removed from their social circles. Still, while there’s an understanding of why people don’t call to report crime, as Collins says, if no one calls, the crime problem remains and often gets worse.

Collins says she also hears a lot of scepticism around how secret “anonymous reporting” really is, saying that people constantly tell her they believe organizations like Crime Stoppers can trace calls using call display.

“I spend a lot of time explaining that Crime Stoppers is actually mandated not to have things like call display to trace calls,” says Collins. “So, it’s a matter of reinforcing to people that reporting crime really can be anonymous and if you don’t report it, you’re contributing to the problem.”

Collins says there are always crime prevention and community-building initiatives taking place to engage residents and encourage them to become involved.

One recent example involved delivering packages door-to-door which contained crime prevention and awareness material, as well as a “Who to Call” sheet, which was available in several different languages.

Where possible, those distributing the packages also knocked on the doors and attempted to hand the package to the resident as opposed to just dropping the package off.

Another successful initiative is the community “coffee houses” which bring residents and community partners together to engage in crime prevention awareness sessions and discuss community concerns.

Collins says that in the OCH neighbourhoods she works in, there’s historically been a lack of trust of the police by new Canadians, young and old, who in their country of origin might have seen authority as corrupt and violent.

“The coffee houses have been great in creating a sense of open communication with everyone,” says Collins.

“That open communication between ourselves, the community, and the police really helps to rebuild that trust in the system and in authority figures.”

Collins says there are several other community initiatives residents can participate in such as BBQs, community clean-up days, safety audits, youth support groups, and education and tutoring groups.

“Engaging the community is huge,” explains Collins.

“Over the past three years, we’ve seen crime drop by 27 percent in the area PQCHC serves.”

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______________ DART officer Cst. Justin Shannick conducts a traffic stop to verify the occupants of vehicle in an area known for gang-related activity.

NO EXCUSES In another OCH community, the Ottawa Police DART members walk through the parking lot on their way back to their cruisers. As the group passes a parked vehicle, the car’s horn begins sounding and its lights flashing.

One of the officers shakes his head. “He sets off his alarm every time he sees us to try and scare us and let us know he’s watching.”

It’s the same parking lot where a suspected gang-related shooting occurred in July of this year, the fourth of six shootings that month.

“Community groups sometimes say ‘it’s not that bad’ when they talk about guns and gangs,” says Sgt. Dinardo. “Well, shootings are a big deal. In this particular case, it happened in the middle of the afternoon where there were kids running around and playing.”

Cst. Justin Shannick is another member of Ottawa Police’s DART and a former soldier who did a couple of tours in Afghanistan. Shannick says his childhood wasn’t easy and he has little tolerance for people who choose to engage in gun violence and other criminal activity.

“I grew up poor in a dysfunctional family that provided zero foundation,” says Shannick. “Don’t give me barriers as an excuse. There are people in these (low-income) communities who barely speak English and are so proud of what they’ve learned in school, they come up and show me their schoolwork. The fact is, peer pressure or not, people have the capacity to decide between right and wrong. The tools are there.” CS For more information on Ottawa’s Guns and Gangs Unit Please Visit: www.ottawapolice.ca/en/about-us/gangs.asp s u p p o rt i n g o u r a dv e rt i s e r s s u p p o rt s c r i m e s e n s e

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cr riim meesse e n sseem mag ag..ccoom m

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Šcopyright thinkstockphotos.com | istock

Do Genitals Determine Gender?

Even from a young age, Jesse Jepson felt that he should have been born a male; that his female genitalia and outer body didn’t match the boy he wanted to be.

“I was about four or five when I really started to feel different,” says the now 19-year-old male Jessop, who was originally born as the female Amy. “I have memories of people walking up to my parents at the grocery store and telling them how cute their son was. It really pissed me off when my parents corrected them and said I was a girl.”

Jessop says his parents and neighbours even bribed him with money to get him to dress more like a girl.

His mother, Jane Moxam, agrees, telling a story of when Jesse was only about three years old, his dad paid him two dollars to wear a dress for a family Christmas picture.

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“Oh, my God!” thought Jessop. “That’s me.”

Jessop mustered up the courage to call his mother and said he had something to tell her.

“Mom, I’m a boy trapped in a girl’s body,” he said.

Only then, did they both start to understand what was really happening.

Felt like a freak

As he grew older, Jessop became known as the biggest tom-boy around in his small British Columbia town. He figures it was around Grade 5, once puberty started, that he really started to feel out of place. Still, he pushed on, trying to understand what was happening to him, while also trying to explain it to others who questioned his identity.

But by Grade 7, as the teenage years drew closer and normal hormonal feelings of crushes and dating appeared, the internal struggle became too much to bear.

Jessop 6 and Sister Savannah 5

“It was really tough to deal with,” explains Jessop. “I was labelled and seen by others as a girl, but here I was attracted to girls and self-identified as a guy, Even though I had female parts, I really felt like I was a straight male.”

Jessop had no idea what was happening to him.

“He looks so pissed off in that picture,” says a laughing Moxam.

“And even then, he still wore jeans underneath.”

Moxam says Jessop was always forward speaking, and recounts another story where he was about the same age and displayed his anger towards his exterior female identity.

Watching his mother exit the shower, Jessop grit his teeth and clenched his fist.

“If I ever get boobies like that I will cut them out with a knife.”

Looking back, Moxam wishes she could have better understood what Jessop was going through. But the reality, she admits, is that she had no idea what was happening and the struggles that were to come.

And, neither did Jessop.

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He felt like a freak.

Depression set in and Jessop began cutting – self-harming himself – to take his mind elsewhere. He sought help with mental health professionals but both he and his mom Moxam say it wasn’t very helpful in terms of addressing his gender dysphoria and mental discomfort. In fact, Moxam says doctors made things worse by attributing his gender confusion and mental anguish to Jessop not having a close relationship with his dad since his parents divorced.

“They told me that if Jesse had a better relationship with his dad, then maybe he’d be happier,” says Moxam.

“These doctors were supposed to be the professionals. It was total bullshit.”

Jessop and his mom still didn’t know what was happening but figured a change of scenery and a fresh start would help Jessop get into a better headspace.

He moved to another town to live with his grandparents. But his problems didn’t go away and Jessop felt so alone. As close as he was to his grandparents, they were extremely religious and Jessop didn’t feel comfortable talking to them about his sexual identity.

One day, Jessop was watching TV and tuned in to the American talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, which was exploring transgender issues. As he watched the episode, the realization hit him.

“Oh, my God!” thought Jessop. “That’s me.”

Jessop mustered up the courage to call his mother and said he had something to tell her.

“Mom, I’m a boy trapped in a girl’s body,” he said.

Only then, did they both start to understand what was really happening.

Understanding transgender

Transgender individuals are those whose gender identity – whether it be male, female, both, or neither – do not match their anatomical sex. Gender dysphoria is term which refers to the extreme discomfort experienced by transgender individuals, and may be accompanied by feelings of anxiety, depression and suicidal behaviours.

Dr. Joey Bonifacio is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, and leads the Transgender Youth Clinic at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. The clinic helps transgender youth and their families, both medically and with counselling, by using an interdisciplinary team approach which includes a paediatric endocrinologist, two adolescent medicine paediatricians, an adolescent medicine nurse practitioner, an endocrine nurse, and an adolescent social worker.

Since opening the clinic in October 2013, his team has helped over 60 transgender youth and their family.

“I think if our transgender youth were truly able to express themselves to the gender to which they identify, the prevalence of mental health issues in transgender youth would decrease,” Bonifacio says puberty blocking medication is one way to allow transgender youth to explore their gender identity without them having to go through the stressors of puberty in a body that does not match their anatomical sex.

“It’s a way to give transgender youth some breathing space to figure things out,” he explains.

In youth who want to make the transition, hormonal replacement therapy is used to give them the characteristics of the sex to which they identify.

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YOU’RE NOT ALONE: WHERE TO GET HELP Several resources exist to help transgender youth and their family. This list is not all-inclusive but can be used as a starting point to access help and information.

PFLAG CANADA PFLAG is Canada’s only national organization that helps all Canadians with issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. PFLAG Canada supports, educates and provides resources to all individuals with questions or concerns, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Phone Toll Free: 1-888-530-6777 Email: inquiries@pflagcanada.ca Web: www.pflagcanada.ca

GENDER MOSAIC An online resource that offers a safe, fun, supportive and nonjudgemental environment where transsexual and cross-gender people of all ages are free to express their gender identity.

Web: www.gendermosaic.com

OTTAWA AREA Family Services Ottawa Family Services Ottawa offers counselling and support services to anybody in Ottawa who needs it, and offers the LGBTTQ+ Around the Rainbow community-based program.

Phone: 613-725-3601 Email: fsfo@familyservicesottawa.org Web: familyservicesottawa.org Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa Founded in 1960, the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB) is one of the largest and most comprehensive non profit agencies serving youth in the community. Check out their Spectrum LGBTQ+ Community Youth Group.

Phone: 613-729-1000 Email: headoffice@ysb.on.ca Web: www.ysb.on.ca 44

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Jessop now

Bonifacio says it’s unfortunate that a lot of the mental health concerns experienced by transgender youth aren’t a product of gender dysphoria per se, but are more because of the transphobia of society.

“I think if our transgender youth were truly able to express themselves to the gender to which they identify, the prevalence of mental health issues in transgender youth would decrease,” says Bonifacio.

Bonifacio adds that his clinic takes a familial approach, explaining that when a youth says they’re transgender, it’s not only a transition for the youth, but for their family as well. His key message to parents is don’t panic; there’s nothing is wrong with your child and many other youth and families have experienced this.

“What I would say to families and youth is to get more information,” says Bonifacio. “There are a lot of people with different views in terms of gender dysphoria and being transgender. At the end of the day, our goal is to ensure a happy child and functioning family.”

This isn’t dress-up

Moxam agrees and issues a caution of her own to parents. She believes some parents of transgender youth, especially younger transgender youth, and parent resource websites for that matter, oversimplify the issue.

“I almost get the impression that some parents and resource websites look at (transgender youth) as a cute version of dress-up,” she explains. “The reality is when the transgender kid gets older and those hormones kick in, all hell breaks loose. Your cute kid becomes a very pissed off teenager and everything becomes different.”

Jessop agrees. Since his revelation to his mother, he has completed high school a year early because of the teasing and mental anguish, and has fought a medical system to formally identify himself as transgender and get access to the resources he needs. For the last few years, Jessop has been going through hormonal replacement therapy and taking testosterone, or “T”, to help him transition from female-to-male. Since taking testosterone, Jessop has had to learn how to deal with the aggression testosterone introduces – not an easy feat considering he’s still a man trapped in a woman’s body.

Jessop says he underwent “top surgery” about a year ago to remove his breasts and that mentally it helped him tremendously. He says life has been pretty good since then, but worries if he’ll ever be able to afford the tens of thousands of dollars “bottom surgery” costs to complete his transition.

Jessop and Mother Moxam

Still, most pressing on Jessop’s mind is that he’s still waiting for government approval to get a hysterectomy to have his uterus removed – something his doctors have told him is medically necessary if he’s to remain on testosterone.

Jessop says he knows many people will continue to judge him and other transgender youth, but that he’s just like everyone else trying to live his life.

“Don’t be negative. This is not a choice. It’s who we are.” CS

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JOHN MOSEBAR, VP MARKETING

SECURITY THROUGH COMMUNICATION

O

riginally intercoms were for one use----whether in a home or office, to allow conversation between parties too far apart to easily converse in person. In the 70’s and 80’s builders included them in their tract homes. In most instances, they were treated as a “gadget”, used mainly as a music source, and rarely for communication. Security was not a “major” concern.

Since then, society has changed drastically and increasing intercom means security through communication. Over the past decade, we have seen the rise in prominence of security in both businesses and homes. In that period the number of our security installing customers has grown to over 80%. “intercom” now plays a complementary role in security systems, adding the missing ingredient of communications to effective security management.

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When a security system is contemplated, the first consideration is the physical barriers---like doors or a gate. But, these are only the first of three ingredients towards an effective security application. It’s the second two that Aiphone serves; after “stop”---the physical barrier, comes “identify”, and then “allow (or refuse) entry”. The inclusion of all three provides the type of security todays’ user needs.

Audio or video intercoms, integrated into the security system, fills the void that previously existed --- identifying person(s) verbally and/or visually before allowing entry.

An example; A family of four are murdered on Christmas Eve in Seattle because a young son opens the door to a drug-crazed, mentally disturbed individual. A locked door with an intercom or video intercom could have prevented this event from happening. An extreme example perhaps, but look in your daily papers, on-line news blogs, and you can see such incidences are happening everywhere, in both large cities and rural towns.

If we can’t stop the negative changes in society, at least we can better protect against them.

It should send a clear message to security dealers and installers; consumers need to be more knowledgeable regarding the technologies available today, and the realization that most security systems protect the home or business while they’re gone, but what protects them when they’re there? An intercom or video intercom!

Aiphone’s attractive yet affordable video intercom line up provides the customer with not one but several solutions to choose from. Each system basically includes an inside video station/monitor, an outside video door station with speaker, buzzer and a colour video camera. With the integrated door/gate release function, a remote device can be activated allowing a visitor or an expected guest to gain access to your home or facility.

Once the “video doorbell” is depressed, and the person inside answers, the visitor can be seen and heard. At any time, the resident can view the system video monitor to view activity outside his or her front door.

Sharp, crisp colour image, it’s slim design assures your video doorbell will be at home in any architectural environment. Plus, the inside station can either be wall mounted or placed on a desk, night stand or counter. CS

For more information regarding Aiphone visit our website at www.aiphone.com/home

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