Frequently Asked Questions

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What is Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Planning?

It is an integrated approach to service delivery that involves working across a wide range of sectors, agencies and organizations to proactively enhance or develop evidence-based strategies to address local priorities related to crime and complex social issues on a sustainable basis. CSWB plans and their implementation seek to shift the focus of safety and well-being efforts from a reactive, incident-based approach to a more proactive, holistic approach. Research indicates that the result of this shift will be a reduction in pressures on first responders. While incident response is a vital component of safety and well-being, the CSWB plan will primarily focus on social development, prevention and risk intervention strategies. For more detailed information on the CSWB planning process, please review the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Service’s CSWB framework.

Why did we develop a CSWB Plan?

The Safer Ontario Act, 2018 requires that Ontario’s single-tier and regional municipalities prepare and adopt a community safety and well-being plan.

The City of Windsor and the Municipalities of the County of Essex, in partnership with agencies and organizations from many sectors, chose to come together to create a regionally focused plan that leverages existing strengths, resources and best practices to establish proactive approaches to counter identified local risks.

The 2022-2026 Windsor Essex Regional Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (the Plan) was developed in accordance with provincial requirements and has utilized the CSWB Planning Framework developed by the Ministry of the Solicitor General

What are the benefits of CSWB planning?

CSWB planning has a wide range of positive impacts for local agencies/organizations and frontline service providers, as well as the broader community. A few key benefits are highlighted below:

  • Enhanced communication and collaboration among sectors, agencies and organizations
  • Transformation of service delivery
  • Increased understanding of and focus on local risks and vulnerable groups
  • Appropriate service delivery to individuals with complex needs
  • Increased community awareness, coordination of and access to services
  • Healthier, more productive individuals that positively contribute to the community; and,
  • Proactive approach to reducing the financial burden of crime on society.

What are the requirements for the CSWB planning process?

A CSWB plan must include the following core information:

  • Local priority risk factors that have been identified based on community consultations and multiple sources of data, such as Statistics Canada and local sector-specific data
  • Evidence-based programs and strategies to address those priority risk factors; and
  • Measurable outcomes with associated performance measures to ensure that the strategies are effective and outcomes are achieved

Who is leading the work?

Over 25 partners from across nine sectors, all of whom either have a mandate for, or an interest in community safety and well-being, collaborated to develop the Plan.

This consultative body, also known as the Windsor Essex Regional CSWB Systems Leadership Table (RSLT), is now a smaller group of representatives from community partners, priority populations, and persons with lived experience (PWLE) that will guide the CSWB Plan’s implementation initiatives and activities. Learn more about the Windsor Essex Regional CSWB Systems Leadership Table (RSLT).

What are the goals of the CSWB planning process?

  • To create a community where everyone feels safe; has a sense of belonging, equitable access to services and opportunities; and can have their needs met across Windsor and Essex County.
  • To ensure Windsor and Essex County are better prepared for the ever-changing demands in our communities.

Why is CSWB planning important for every community?

CSWB planning supports a collaborative approach to addressing local priorities through the implementation of programs/strategies in four planning areas, including social development, prevention, risk intervention, and incident response.

Further, by taking a holistic approach to CSWB planning, those in need of help receive the right response, at the right time, and by the right service provider. It will also help to improve interactions between police and vulnerable residents by enhancing frontline responses to those in crisis.

How has community input been used?

  • Insights and ideas shared by community members informed the content of the Plan and helped identify any potential gaps.
  • Input has helped build the strategies and actions for the Plan.

Note: Any identifying information has been removed through the data analysis process. Individual responses have not and will not be shared. Responses have been combined to report statistics and/or common themes.

Please contact 311 for general information.

For detailed inquiries, please contact cswbinfo@citywindsor.ca by email.