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September 18, 2001
Safety Audit being conducted in the Moodie Drive, Robertson Road and Richmond Road triangle

During the next two months, a safety audit will be conducted in the Moodie Drive, Robertson Road and Richmond Road triangle. It is being organized as part of the Safe Community Initiative in Bells Corners and will examine areas of concern related to safety in the Home, Community and Workplace.

Safety is everyone's concern, from children to adults. Improving safety in one area, such as the home, will also improve safety in the community and the workplace. If we can reduce accidents and eliminate security issues around us, the better all our lives will be.

A Safety Audit allows people to identify areas within their neighborhood that are unsafe, and to propose possible solutions. The idea was developed by the Women's Action Centre Against Violence as a way of making neighborhoods safer for vulnerable groups such as women and children, the elderly, people with disabilities, visible minorities and newcomers. This audit goes one step further; we will look at safety in the home by providing not only an example to follow, but providing the information tools home owners and renters alike need to look at and improve home safety.

We will then move the focus to the community and look at safety and security issues around our homes, where we walk, play and shop. Once we have identified the various areas of concern, we'll organize a 'Walk-About'. The date for the walk-about at this time is set for October 22nd at 7pm. This will consist of the community safety representatives, volunteers and individuals from the police, ambulance, fire, school bus, city and our local Councilor Jan Harder. After the walk-about, we'll set up additional meetings to discuss solutions to problems or issues identified.

It is hoped that we will have a number of area business on side with us. Some have 24 hour operations and this audit will benefit them as well. Also, safety is not only a home and community concept. Workplace accidents account for thousands of dollars in lost time and revenue each year. A person who is aware of and participates in home and community safety programs will be more in tuned and aware of safety on the workplace. Cutting workplace accidents and thus claims dramatically.

An audit can cover any size area, from a parking lot or a building to an entire neighborhood. In our Audit Zone Map case, we focused on Moodie Drive North and South from Loblaws / Zellers at Moodie and Robertson Road to the United Church at Moodie and Richmond Road. Adjacent shopping areas and greenspaces will also be audited. There are 5 Zones (see zone map on the right) that we will look at during this audit.

During the Walk-About, we will ask each 'group' to identify "unsafe" locations. For each site, a checklist will be completed: general impressions (Does the area appear desolate, deserted at night?); lighting (Are the streetlights adequate? What proportion of porch lights are on?); signage (Could an emergency vehicle locate a particular unit or street?); road conditions and layout (are there any areas on Moodie that need to be looked at regarding turning lanes, etc...); sight-lines (Are there hiding places for assailants?); isolation (Are there people around at night? Is there help nearby?); maintenance problems (overflowing garbage cans, hazards on sidewalks); and human factors (graffiti, vandalism).

A checklist has also been developed for the home and will be made available on this web site by October 1st the latest. You download it in Adobe Acrobat .PDF or MS Word .DOC formats for use in your own home or condominium complex.

Many new families have moved into the area and this audit will enhance the standard of living in the Bells Corners area. The improved awareness of general safety issues in the home and community is the main goal and we feel that this audit will go along way to accomplishing this.

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