Innovation, local leadership and community partnerships established the foundation for Saskatchewan to shift its focus from a police response to a collaborative risk-driven approach. This shift, driven by establishing evidence-based practices, was the pioneering vision of Community Mobilization Prince Albert – the flagship models of Saskatchewan’s Hub and COR (Centre of Responsibility). These intervention models are enveloped under the province’s Building Partnerships to Reduce Crime approach and championed by Saskatchewan’s Premier. This support resulted in Hub replication across the province in 13 communities and has garnered both national and international interest.
In 2014, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice undertook a yearlong cross-government study on privacy and information sharing which examined provincial and federal legislation. Findings resulted in practitioners becoming informed and educated on how to work within existing legislation – to step out of their silos and work together and share information.
Essentials to ongoing success are leadership, data collection, measurement and analysis. Data, in parallel with research, is framing a knowledge alliance that strengthens practice and underscores the need for cross sector alignment and the ability to share information across sectors. Reflecting on the success of these models, Saskatchewan continues to broaden the scope of community mobilization by building partnerships that engage the collective experience, wisdom and resources of all sectors.
With Saskatchewan-inspired Hubs now active in 8 provinces and at least 1 territory (to the best of our knowledge), Saskatchewan joined with Ontario in early 2015 to provide leadership to a Public Safety Canada event entitled the National Policy Makers Dialogue on Information Sharing. Saskatchewan’s Information and Privacy Commissioner provided input to that session, as well as a cross-ministry Information Sharing Issues Working Group, and Ontario’s Privacy Commissioner participated throughout the actual two-day event. The resulting report provides a strong and clear endorsement to the Hub’s Four Filters model specifically, and to the Hub model in general. This report will lend significant assistance to resolving many of the information sharing roadblocks, which we see as the catalyst to technology solutions.
Envision a scalable national or international vision for comprehensive and integrative information sharing capabilities. One that is based in evidence; ties in international best practices; balances the need for sharing with privacy legislation; and respects the individual challenges and needs of the various levels government.
The solution is not about replacing aging systems but rather acknowledging the work already done and ensuring as systems are replaced or created they become part of the new framework and the vision for integration.
Data is collected at an increasing speed. This presents a challenge to manage but also an opportunity to build a valuable asset. Combine this with the ability to share information across sectors and the opportunities become exponential.
To seize this opportunity there is a need to create governance, process and enable legislation while also creating a working environment with the willingness to understand the importance of information management and sharing to advance public safety. By better managing and maximizing information, agencies will be able to better prioritize and deploy resources.
Ultimately the goal for information sharing and technology solutions rests within the genesis from which the Hub model was created: “Leveraging people, processes and technology to get the right information/service to the right people at the right time.”