Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) is committed to developing a more holistic understanding and approach to the complex, multiple, and interconnected root causes of crime, victimization, safety, and well-being in our communities.
Guided by the 2023-2024 Public Safety Strategy, the Community Safety Programs & Partnerships / Research & Development teams provide leadership and support to HRM's community safety goals across the organization and in collaboration with community. This includes:
- Indigenous-led community safety
- Youth violence prevention
- Broadening the spectrum of emergency and crisis response
- Community safety training programs
- Enhancing supports for people who use substances, and people in need of mental health crisis support
- Making public spaces safer and free from violence for women, girls, and gender-diverse people
- Supporting communities in building resilience and healing from trauma
The Programs & Partnerships team also leads community-based initiatives including the Community Mobilization Teams (CMTs) and the Safe City & Safe Public Spaces Program to improve community safety and well-being within the municipality. This division will lead all new programs and services, including, for instance, the stabilization centre.
- Background: Addressing Community Safety in HRM
In 2008, the Halifax Regional Municipality made a commitment to developing a more holistic understanding of, and approach to, the root causes of crime and victimization in Halifax, by convening a Mayor's Roundtable on Violence, resulting in the 2008 publication of the Clairemont Report, formally titled: "Violence and Public Safety in the Halifax Regional Municipality: A report to the Mayor as a result of the Roundtable. Acting on a key recommendation of the report, the municipality established a Public Safety Office (PSO) in 2009, which is now known as the Community Safety Business Unit.
In 2014 the Mayor requested a report on progress made since the 2008 Clairemont Report, resulting in 2014 Roundtable Review volume 1 and volume II.
The research and community engagement from this report formed the basis for the municipality’s inaugural Public Safety Strategy, unanimously approved by Regional Council on October 31, 2017.
- The Public Safety Strategy
An updated Halifax Public Safety Strategy has been approved for 2023-24 to 2025-26.
The Halifax Public Safety Strategy:
- Is a strategic framework for guiding all municipal decision-making, regarding public safety.
- Adheres to the municipality’s mandate to sustain safe and viable communities and is built on an understanding that collaborations and partnerships are essential to advance strategic priorities..
- The 2023-24 to 2025-26 Public Safety Strategy contains three strategic action areas:
- Community-led public safety leadership
- Broader spectrum of responses to real issues and harms
- Establishing a centre of responsibility for collective impact
Development of the Strategy
Throughout the development of the updated Halifax Public Safety Strategy, consultations occurred both internally with business units and Regional Council, and externally with community parternships and service providers.
Additional external engagement with service providers, community organizations, and communities will continue as the actions within the Strategy are advanced, including the establishment of a community voice and advisory structure.
- Research & Development
The Community Safety Research and Development team supports HRM's community safety goals across the organization by providing community safety training programs, research, program evaluation expertise, as well as locally informed evidence and best practice insights.
Expanding public safety training capacity can cultivate a broader culture shift within the municipality by supporting staff in seeking alternatives to enforcement, promoting safer and inclusive spaces, healing from trauma, and focusing on meeting the needs of individuals.
- Accomplishments
The Public Safety Advisor oversees the implementation of the actions in the strategy through collaboration and partnerships and provides advice on locally informed, evidence-based approaches to community safety and wellbeing to further advance the strategy’s goals. Each year, the Advisor updates the community on the Stategy's outcomes:
Public Safety Strategy Annual Report 2018
Public Safety Strategy Annual Report 2019
Public Safety Strategy Annual Report 2021
Public Safety Strategy Annual Report 2022
Programs & Partnerships
Community Mobilization Teams (CMTs)
CMTs work toward preventing violence by reducing distress, restoring unity, and building resilience. We are: Community volunteers working together to support families and communities by bridging the gap with service providers during times of critical incidents. Through healing and spirituality, we facilitate meaningful connections to ensure community safety.
Learn more or contact Raven Glasgow, Manager, Programs and Engagement, raven.glasgow@halifax.ca
Safe City and Safe Public Spaces Program
Halifax's Safe City and Safe Public Spaces program focuses on preventing and addressing sexual and other forms of gender-based violence in public spaces within Halifax Regional Municipality.
The program promotes women, girls', and non-binary people's rights to use public spaces free from intimidation, sexual and other forms of gender-based violence. Learn more or contact us at SafeCity@halifax.ca
CMT members prepare to deliver emergency supplies after Hurricane Dorian
Participants plan their safety audit route.
Members take part in a team building activity
Women’s Safety Audit train-the-trainer session participants
Two participants take part in a team building activity
Piloting the safety audit tool in Halifax’s North End.
Retreat Group Picture
| Location | Features | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Features | Address |
| Albro Lake | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 1 Sea King Dr., Dartmouth |
| Alderney Gate Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 60 Alderney Dr., Dartmouth |
| Beazley Park | Gendered Washrooms | 50 Caledonia Rd., Dartmouth |
| Bedford Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 15 Dartmouth Rd., Bedford |
| Birch Cove Park Facility | Gendered washrooms | 44 Oakdale Cres., Dartmouth |
| Captain William Spry Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal washrooms | 16 Sussex St., Halifax |
| Chocolate Lake | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 3 Melwood Ave., Halifax |
| Cole Harbour All-Weather-Field | Accessible stalls, universal washroom | 463 Auburn Dr., Cole Harbour |
| Cole Harbour Commons | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 460 Auburn Dr., Cole Harbour |
| Cole Harbour Place - Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 51 Forest Hills Pkwy, Cole Harbour |
| Dartmouth Bridge (Transit) Terminal | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 24 Nantucket Ave., Dartmouth |
| Dartmouth Alderney Ferry Terminal | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 88 Alderney Dr., Dartmouth |
| Dartmouth North Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 105 Highfield Park Dr., Dartmouth |
| Dewolf Park | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 150 Waterfront Dr., Bedford |
| Fairview Cemetery Workshop | Accessible stalls, universal washrooms | 3720 Windsor St., Halifax |
| Eastern Passage Commons | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 110 Oceanview School Rd., Eastern Passage |
| Halifax Central Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 5440 Spring Garden Rd., Halifax |
| Halifax Ferry Terminal | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 5077 George St., Halifax |
| Halifax North Memorial Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 2285 Gottingen St., Halifax |
| J D Shatford Memorial Library | Universal washrooms | 10353 St Margarets Bay Rd., Hubbards |
| Keshen Goodman Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 330 Lacewood Dr., Halifax |
| Kiwanis Grahams Grove Park | Gendered washrooms | 45 Grahams Grv., Dartmouth |
| Lacewood (Transit) Terminal | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 320 Lacewood Ave., Halifax |
| Maybank Field | Gendered washrooms | 1088 Micmac Bvld., Dartmouth |
| Musquodoboit Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 7900 Nova Scotia Trunk 7, Musquodoboit Harbour |
| North Commons Public Washroom Facility | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 5816 Cunard St, Halifax |
| Point Pleasant Park Harbour Solutions Washroom | 5906 Chain Rock Dr, Halifax | |
| Portland Hills (Transit) Terminal | Universal washrooms | 866 Portland St, Dartmouth |
| Public Gardens | Gendered washrooms | 5771 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax |
| Ravenscraig Drive Park | 15 Ravenscraig Dr, Halifax | |
| Sackville Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 636 Sackville Dr, Lower Sackville |
| Sackville (Transit) Terminal | Accessible stalls, universal washrooms | 7 Walker Ave, Lower Sackville |
| Sandy Lake Beach | Gendered washrooms | 115 Smiths Rd, Bedford |
| Shakespeare By The Sea Box Office | 5480 Point Pleasant Dr, Halifax | |
| Sheet Harbour Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 22756 Nova Scotia Trunk 7, Sheet Harbour |
| Shubie Park | Gendered washrooms | 54 Locks Rd, Dartmouth |
| Sir Sandford Fleming Park | 150 Dingle Rd, Halifax | |
| Tantallon Public Library | Accessible stalls, gendered washrooms | 3646 Hammonds Plains Rd, Upper Tantallon |
| Woodside Ferry Terminal | Gendered washrooms | 9 Atlantic St, Dartmouth |
| Woodlawn Public Library | Accessible stalls, universal & gendered washrooms | 31 Eisener Blvd, Dartmouth |