The changing face of community safety was the focus of discussion in a special presentation held at the Doon campus on Thursday, September 18, when Matt Torigian, Ontario’s deputy minister of Community Safety, spoke with students in Conestoga’s Community and Criminal Justice co-op degree program.
In his remarks, Torigian described community safety as “a complex social science,” with many stakeholders. He said that the field is “on the edge of transformation,” shifting towards a broader focus of community well-being within a system that works collaboratively to solve problems.
According to Torigian, sharing information is critical in the new risk-driven, cooperative approach that includes all the different disciplines in the community playing a role in safety. He advised students to take in and reflect on their experiences, and to learn constantly in order to be successful in the profession.
The Bachelor of Community and Criminal Justice is a four-year co-op degree program that emphasizes the importance of inter-agency and inter-professional collaboration in addressing both individual and societal issues related to crime. Program graduates are prepared for success in a variety of careers related to community-building as well as crime prevention and response.
For more information, visit the program page