Burnaby Social Sustainability Strategy - City of Burnaby

Strategic Priority 7: Protecting our Community
By fostering an atmosphere
of security, all people are
better able to participate
in community life. This
contributes to community
inclusion and liveability...
Burnaby has the second-largest
RCMP detachment in Canada,
and the third-largest police
service in British Columbia.
A socially sustainable community is one in which all people can live their
lives without fear, and confident in their ability to respond to a crisis. The
City has a strong foundation in community-based crime prevention, and
has programs to protect people and property from crime, and plans to
respond to emergency events. By fostering an atmosphere of security, all
people are better able to participate in community life. This contributes
to community inclusion and liveability. Emergency preparedness and crisis
response are important aspects of resilience.
Strengths to Build On
Some of the ways that Burnaby helps to make the city safe for residents
and visitors include:
Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Response
• Provision of fire protection services through the Burnaby Fire
Department and seven fire halls.
• Support for the Burnaby Emergency Program, which prepares civic
employees, residents and local businesses for the effects of a disaster
or major emergency.
• Support for the Emergency Social Services Program which provides
short-term services to preserve the emotional and physical well-being
of evacuees and response workers.
• Employment of a part-time Emergency Social Services Coordinator.
Crime Prevention and Response
• Provision of protective and crime prevention services through
the Burnaby RCMP detachment, which is the second-largest RCMP
detachment in Canada, and the third-largest police service in British
Columbia.
• Support for crime prevention programs, such as:
- the Business Property Crime Reduction Initiative, which raises
awareness among business property owners as to how they
can reduce property crime on their premises.
- the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) Review
Process, which aims to reduce crime through design or alteration of
the physical environment.
• Establishment of a Community Policing model and programs to involve
citizens and increase police accountability. Council’s Community Policing
Committee has a mandate to advise on promoting a communitybased
policing model while providing an opportunity for the public to have
Strategic Priority 7: Protecting our Community 80