Chilliwack/Victoria – Six community leaders have received awards for their ongoing efforts in supporting victims of crime, including initiatives focused on gender-based violence and restorative justice.
The 24th annual Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards were held by a virtual ceremony this year.
One of the precipitants is Chilliwack Podcaster Aaron Pete ( his podcast is Bigger Than Me @biggerthanmepod):
The first winner of the Emerging Leaders Award, Pete works as a Native Court worker with the Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of BC. Since January 2018, Pete has been building relationships with criminal justice stakeholders and has been very passionate in his role. Notably, he’s currently working independently with the Chilliwack courthouse to conduct Indigenous cultural awareness training to staff, bringing awareness of the history of Indian residential schools, the ’60s Scoop, and colonization, including the impacts on Indigenous Peoples today. Pete is focused on teaching people why greater sensitivity and understanding are needed for individuals working with Indigenous Peoples in the criminal justice system.
The awards acknowledge individuals, non-profit organizations, police and other local partners for their work in advancing crime prevention, restorative justice and other approaches that keep communities safer. These efforts support provincial initiatives in community safety, victim services, and policing.
The Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards were presented to:
* Wanda Watts, Smithers
* Karyn French, Victoria
* Meghan Ramsay, Kelowna
* Satbir Cheema, Surrey
* Mssko Wakil, Burnaby
* Aaron Pete, Chilliwack
Provincial information on community safety and crime prevention: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/community-crime-prevention
To view the awards: https://youtu.be/fhvFV98eNls
