Youth Gangs

Crime Prevention Ottawa’s multi-stakeholder youth gang working group – the Ottawa Youth Gang Prevention Initiative (OYGPI) has been operating since May 2007.  It is co-chaired by Michael Justinich of Crime Prevention Ottawa and Gord Boyd of the Youth Services Bureau. It currently represents more than 70 individuals from 30+ agencies and institutions.  OYGPI focuses on the issue of youth gangs in Ottawa. It conducts research and creates education and training forums around youth gang prevention and intervention strategies. You can learn more about the Ottawa Youth Gang Prevention Initiative in this section or by contacting one of the Co-Chairs.

“Community Cohesion and Youth Gang Prevention Six Priority Area”  

This report, released in November 2009, revealed the need for greater youth engagement and prevention programming investment for two of six priority areas. Overall gang activity is low relative to other Canadian cities but with youth gangs on the rise in Canada now is the time to implement effective community-based prevention programming before the situation get worse. The report focuses on Healthy Neighbourhood Cohesion and Prevention, the first two components of OYGPI’s 4-Component Gang Prevention Strategy. 

“Now is the Time to Act: Youth Gang Prevention in Ottawa”  

This report, released in February 2008 revealed the need for a citywide youth gang prevention strategy in Ottawa. It highlighted that the gang situation in Ottawa is not out of control, but indicated that now is the time to implement effective community-based prevention programming through a holistic community response to the youth gang issue.  The report highlights the need for education, awareness, enforcement and suppression in resolving our gang problem in Ottawa. 

 Review of the Roots of Youth Violence  

On January 8, 2008, the Honourable Alvin Curling and Honourable Roy McMurtry met with the Board of Crime Prevention Ottawa as part of a Review that they are co-chairing on the Roots of Youth Violence. This provincial review was tasked with identifying what contributes to youth violence and to provide recommendations to continue building safer, stronger communities. Crime Prevention Ottawa prepared a background paper and a presentation as part of this province-wide consultation. Following the release of the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence report in 2008 Crime Prevention Ottawa submitted a response paper to the Ontario Government and report authors.