Minutes

Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee

The Corporation of the City of Brampton

Thursday, December 12, 2024

7:00 P.m. - 9:00 P.m.

Hybrid Meeting - Virtual Option & In-Person in Council Chambers – 4th Floor – City Hall

Members Present:

• Regional Councillor M. Palleschi (Chair)
• City Councillor R. Power
• Regional Councillor R. Santos
• Dominique Darmanin-Sturgeon
• Ivan Marco Macri
• Jennifer Miles
• Roopinder Sandhu
• Inga Pedra, Region of Peel, Community Safety and Well-Being Office
• Supt. Navdeep Chhinzer, Peel Regional Police

Members Absent:

• Regional Councillor D. Keenan (Vice-Chair)
• Regional Councillor G. Toor
• Randhir Singh

Staff Present:

• Razmin Said, Senior Manager, Community Safety and Well-Being
• Tammi Jackson, Legislative Coordinator

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1.

Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. and adjourned at 8:49 p.m.

2.

Approval of Agenda

• BCS012-2024

  That the agenda for the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Meeting of December 12, 2024, be amended,

  To Add:

  7.3  Discussion at the request of Roop Sindhu, Citizen Member, re: Emergency Vehicles and How They Can Access Intersections With Divided Bike Lanes and Just One Lane of Traffic in Each Direction During Rush Hour Periods

  8.1 Correspondence from Pastor Eric Onderwater, Grace Canadian Reformed Church, re: Safety Concerns Creditview Road

  Carried

3.

Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act

Nil

4.

Previous Minutes

4.1

Minutes - Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee - April 18, 2024

The minutes were considered by Committee of Council on May 8, 2024, and were approved by Council on May 15, 2024. The minutes were provided for Committee’s information.

5.

Presentations\Delegations

5.1

Delegation by Grace Cook, Policy Analyst, Region of Peel and Sharon Mayne, CEO, Catholic Family Services of Peel Dufferin Catholic Family Services of Peel Dufferin re: Family and Intimate Violence Prevention, 2024 Campaign

Grace Cook, Policy Analyst, Region of Peel; Sharon Mayne, CEO, Catholic Family Services of Peel Dufferin Catholic Family Services of Peel Dufferin and Andrine Johnson, CEO, Embrave: Agency to End Violence provided a brief overview on the Family and Intimate Violence Prevention, 2024 Campaign and responded to questions of clarification from Committee. 

Committee discussion included the following:

• Outlined the urgent need for shelter space/affordable housing within Brampton for women.
• Clarified there is no shelter space located in Brampton.
• Questions regarding whether more women are reaching out due to the increase in awareness from the campaign, are there enough resources available, and what more can be done to ensure resources are available.
• There has been an increase in the number of calls to Peel Regional Police reaching 23,000 over the past year.
• Advised the campaign is successful.
• Question regarding the challenges addressing intimate partner violence.
• Question regarding the barriers of communication with new immigrant women where English is their second language. 

The following motion was considered. 

• BCS013-2024

  That the presentation from Grace Cook, Policy Analyst, Region of Peel; Sharon Mayne, CEO, Catholic Family Services of Peel Dufferin Catholic Family Services of Peel Dufferin and Andrine Johnson, CEO, Embrave: Agency to End Violence, re: Family and Intimate Violence Prevention, 2024 Campaign, to the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Meeting of December 12, 2024, be received. 

  Carried

5.2

Presentation by Kevin Minaker, Manager, Traffic Operations and Parking & Michael Kralt, Director, Automated Enforcement & Court Administration, re: Automated Speed Enforcement Update

Kevin Minaker, Manager, Traffic Operations and Parking provided an overview on the Automated Speed Enforcement Update and responded to questions of clarification from Committee. 

Sgt Chhinzer advised that traffic safety is important to Peel Regional Police. The collaborative approach, working together with staff and the data-driven approach have had an impact where areas needing enforcement have been strategically identified. Tremendous change has been seen in reduced speed in identified areas as a result of working together. 

Committee discussion included the following:

• Concerns expressed regarding the speed vehicles are still travelling
• Expressed support of the Region of Peel budget to increase the Police budget to increase officer presence on the road. 
• Clarification that Automated Speed Enforcement cameras are only permitted in community safety zones and school zones. 
• Question regarding the difference and importance of different traffic calming measures used.
• Questions whether single-file traffic (narrowing roads) increases the safety of the zones and whether it will result in traffic congestion. 
• Question regarding if the cameras are moved around.
• Clarified 185 cameras will be installed later next year. Once cameras are installed locations will be reassessed to determine if cameras need to be relocated. 
• Question regarding what it would take to reduce the speed limit on all regional roads to 60 km/hr.
• Clarification that when looking to change speed limits there are warrants through the Transportation Association of Canada that are used to determine the appropriate speed limit. 

• BCS014-2024

  That the presentation from Kevin Minaker, Manager, Traffic Operations and Parking and Michael Kralt, Director, Automated Enforcement and Court Administration, re: Automated Speed Enforcement Update, to the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Meeting of December 12, 2024, be received. 

  Carried

5.3

Presentation by Razmin Said, Senior Manager, Community Safety and Well-Being Office, re: Safe Public Spaces for All: Addressing Encampments In the City of Brampton (RM55/2024)

Item 7.1 was brought forward and acknowledged at this time. The report was provided for Committee information only. 

Razmin Said, Senior Manager, Community Safety and Well-Being Office provided an overview of the Safe Public Spaces for All: Addressing Encampments In the City of Brampton (RM55/224) and responded to questions of clarification from Committee. 

Committee discussion included the following:

• Questions as to whether the staff foresee this issue going away and the number of resources being used by the Community Safety and Well-being team 
• Councillor Santos expressed that the Community Safety and Well-Being Office will require additional resources to effectively deal with encampments.
• Outlined that staff are looking to manage encampments better and find solutions. 
• Questions regarding whether there has been a decrease in the amount of peripheral community safety issues such as drugs, theft, and fights, and is there a correlation between the two in terms of community safety. 
• Peel Regional Police have had a number of engagements with local constituents and there has been a significant reduction in what is referred to as petty crime, which has contributed to the reduction of encampments. 
• Clarification that encampment communities attract other people suffering from homelessness from other communities, municipalities, or neighbourhoods which also brings an element of organized crime that involves theft and selling of property that belongs to others, in order to support themselves. 
• Outlined that SHARPS are found at encampment sites. There is a common misconception that all individuals suffering from homelessness are drug users. As an advisory committee educating the public is important to ensure that such common misconceptions are not the narrative. 
• Advised that there are 27 encampments throughout the City of Brampton, once the new legislation is passed staff will review the assess the direction needing to be taken moving forward. 

The following motion was considered. 

• BCS015-2024

  That the presentation from Razmin Said, Senior Manager, Community Safety and Well-Being Office, re:  Safe Public Spaces for All: Addressing Encampments In the City of Brampton (RM55/224), to the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Meeting of December 12, 2024, be received. 

  Carried

6.

Reports/Updates

Nil

7.

Other/New Business/Information Items

7.1

Report from Razmin Said, Senior Manager, Community Safety and Well-Being Office, re: Safe Public Spaces for All: Addressing Encampments in the City of Brampton (RM55/2024)

Dealt with under Item 5.3 - Recommendation BCS015-2024.

7.2

Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee - 2025 Meeting Schedule and Terms of Reference

Councillor Palleschi advised the Committee he was looking to have Committee meetings at community centers in each ward pairing to engage with the public and brought forward the following motion: 

1. That the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee - 2025 Meeting Schedule, to the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Meeting of December 12, 2024, be received; and,
2. That the schedule for the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Road Show be supported by the City Clerk’s Office and the Community Safety and Well-Being Office, Information Technology; and,
3. That Strategic Communications promote off-site committee meetings to go out to each ward pairing within Brampton; 
4. That the City Clerk’s Office work with staff to coordinate two additional Committee meetings to accommodate visits to all ward pairings; and,
5. That correspondence be sent to all ward pairing Councillors.   

The following motion was considered. 

• BCS016-2024
  1. That the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee - 2025 Meeting Schedule, to the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Meeting of December 12, 2024, be received; and,
  2. That the schedule for the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Road Show be supported by the City Clerk’s Office and the Community Safety and Well-Being Office, Information Technology; and,
  3. That Strategic Communications promote off-site committee meetings to go out to each ward pairing within Brampton;
  4. That the City Clerk’s Office work with staff to coordinate two additional Committee meetings to accommodate visits to all ward pairings;
  5. That correspondence be sent to all ward pairing Councillors.
  Carried

7.3

Discussion at the request of Roop Sandhu, Citizen Member, re: Emergency Vehicles and How They Can Access Intersections With Divided Bike Lanes and Just One Lane of Traffic of Traffic in Each Direction During Rush Hour Periods

Roop Sandhi, Citizen Member, inquired about how emergency vehicles access intersections with divided bike lanes and with just one lane of traffic in each direction during rush hour periods. 

Sgt Chhinzer advised emergency vehicles to safely maneuver through traffic during rush hour and will find a way to get to an emergency. When drivers see emergency vehicles coming they generally move out of the way to allow for emergency vehicles to pass. 

Commissioner Boyes advised typically vehicles pull to the right and emergency crews travel down the middle. There have been no issues known of emergency vehicles getting through traffic. 

8.

Correspondence

8.1

Correspondence from Pastor Eric Onderwater, Grace Canadian Reformed Church, re: Safety Concerns Creditview Road

Ivan Macri, Citizen Member, expressed his concerns regarding the safety on Creditview Road and suggested a red light camera be installed in the area of Sandalwood Parkway and Creditview Road. 

Committee acknowledged the correspondence and referred the correspondence to staff for further review and requested a report back at the Committee of Council meeting of January 15, 2025. 

The following motion was considered. 

• BCS017-2024

  Correspondence from Pastor Eric Onderwater, Grace Canadian Reform Church, re: Safety Concerns Creditview Road, to the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee Meeting of December 12, 2024, be referred to Kevin Minaker, Manager, Traffic Operations, for further review and report back at the Committee of Council meeting of January 15, 2025.  

  Carried

9.

Question Period

Nil

10.

Public Question Period

Nil

11.

Adjournment

The following motion was considered. 

• BCS018-2024

  That the Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee do now adjourn to meet again on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. or at the call of the Chair.

  Carried