Plan addressing Halifax violence expected next month after tragic 2016

Halifax's public safety officer hopes to have an action plan early next month in response to the latest spike in violence in the city,including three recentfatal shootings.

In a presentation Monday to the municipality's board of police commissioners, Ted Upshawsaid the plan will be a collaborative effort.

"We have to have commitment from everybody, and all hands have to be on deck," he said.

• Halifax homicides in 2016: Remembering the victims

There have been 12 murders in the municipality in 2016, including shootings that claimed the lives of three men in their 20s last month.

Tackling long-term issues

Upshaw saidthere are long-term social issues that need to be dealt with such as discrimination, unemployment, poverty and housing.

He also told the police board that programs to prevent people from returning to prison, such as theSecond Chance program, need to be reworked.

Upshawsaid he has met with stakeholders as well as representatives from the province andthe city.Afollowup meeting is planned forJanuary with a small group to identify actions that can be taken right away to reduce violence.

One of those immediate steps involves sending counsellors out after a violent incident to help the community cope, he said.

"We could have an incident in a community, and there's people that may see something they've never seen before," said Upshaw."And sometimes it only takes one event to actually cause harm to somebody."

Counsellorsneeded

The idea of sending counsellors into neighbourhoods has already been put forward by the blackcommunity. Seven of the homicide victims in the past year were blackmen.

However, some feel that in order for counsellors to be effective, they have to understand the needs of the community.

Raymond Sheppard,a former mental health and addictions counsellor, said anumber of blackhealth workers met last week and discussed how there can be financial barriers to helping.

He said it's difficult for people to step up and offer counselling services when they cannot afford liability insurance.

"Government calls incounsellorswhen there is something happening at a school, or there's a tragedy, natural or otherwise," he said. "We'd like to be called in, too, to help in the African NovaScotiancommunity. But we need that help."

Sheppard saidhe believes the province should pay for the cost of liability insurancein order to allow more black counsellors to offer services.

He said there's a history of injustices and racism against the black community, which means its members are more likely to turn to each other for counselling.

"We understand one anothermore so than others can outside of our community. So it is necessary to have us relate to one another," he said.