Winners > Constable Dan Williams

Honourable Mentions

Constable Dan Williams
Edmonton Police Service

Constable Dan Williams was recognized for creating an innovative program called "Reality Check" that works one-on-one with teens at risk and their families. His approach has been so successful it is being adopted province-wide as part of the provincial government's Alternative Measures Program, a program to promote community-based solutions to youth crime.

As a third generation Chinese-Canadian, Constable Williams was hearing from parents in the Asian community concerned because they believed their children were becoming involved in criminal activities. Since there was no program in place to respond to Asian youth at risk, he developed his "Reality Check" program. It is based on working as a mentor with a youth who has been identified as "at risk". He meets with the family, discusses the situation and remains in close contact with the young person for a period of ten months. During that time he encourages them to make positive lifestyle choices and he also reminds them of the potential consequences if they opt for criminal activity. He tells his youth that he can be either their "best friend" or their "worst enemy".

After ten months of mentoring, he takes them on a tour of the Edmonton Institution where they see first hand the realities of life in prison.

In the first year, nine young people successfully completed the Reality Check program. Williams is now expanding this creative approach to policing by working with twenty volunteer fellow officers in the Edmonton Police Service. He is also helping the Alberta Justice Department make Reality Check part of a province-wide approach to improving the youth justice system.

Contact person: Constable Dan Williams
780-421-2829

The Quebec City Police Force has received an Honourable Mention for its innovative program, which helps violent youth turn their lives around.

The program, S.A.S. (Support and Alternatives to Violence through Sport), nominated by Lt Denis Robitaille, seeks to give new hope to violent young people rather than use a punitive approach. It is an example of the Force's commitment to ending violence in city schools.

Under the first phase of the program—which is oriented towards prevention—police officers speak in schools on violence, how to stop it and why it cannot be tolerated.

The second phase uses a hotline (691-AGIR) to make it easier for young people to report violence. By dialing this number, students can access an anonymous, confidential voice-messaging system that allows them to record information such as descriptions of individuals or violent crimes committed in and around schools. Calls are monitored daily and this information is sent to school violence prevention and criminal intelligence units.

This hotline often represents the starting point for a whole series of interventions designed to eliminate recurring incidents involving extortion, harassment, intimidation or assault.

As part of the third phase, the Force works with judo clubs and youth centers to teach self-discipline and improve the self-image of boys and girls aged 12-17 who have committed a violent crime. To do this, it uses two terms of judo classes, each consisting of 12 judo sessions. And while the objective for young participants may be to get a yellow belt, the goal for those running the program is to use the training and discipline judo affords to enable these young people to discover an alternative to violence.

So far, this initiative has proved highly successful. For example, of the 19 young people in the program, 11 have successfully completed it and qualified for their yellow belt. One participant even won a gold medal at a regional competition in March 2000 and a regional championship in April. And many of the successful participants have gone on to sponsor and guide new participants to the program.

Contact: La Division des relations publiques et communautaires
Service de police de la Ville de Québec
418-691-7576