Intimate Partner Violence Unit Joins the Safe Centre of Peel
Region of Peel – Intimate Partner Violence is a critical priority for the Peel Regional Police (PRP). In support of that, PRP has created a specialized Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Unit, which will join the Safe Centre of Peel (SCoP) as an onsite partner. This represents a groundbreaking change to the service’s response model and places it as one of the few large services nationally to incorporate this approach.
SCoP is a safe, welcoming and anti-oppressive space where many agencies work together at one location to offer support and compassionate care to adults, children and youth affected by abuse and violence in Peel. Including Police, there are currently seven on-site partner agencies, and 10 off-site partners who provide services to clients of the centre. Police services will be integrated with the array of other supports available at SCoP (including crisis and high risk case management, system navigation, housing assistance, multi-cultural services, legal support, parenting and child welfare) to provide a continuum of compassionate care for clients at every stage of their journey.
“The goal of SCoP’s partnerships is to provide an array of different services in one location, creating a continuum of care with consistent, seamless integration. Police have long been an important partner, and we are delighted to welcome the new IPV Unit to our home at the Davis Centre. Through close collaboration with all of our partners, we provide compassionate support to help victims and their families heal, and ultimately create a safer community,” said Sharon Mayne-Devine, CEO of Catholic Family Services Peel – Dufferin, the lead agency at the Safe Centre of Peel.
Peel Regional Police’s IPV Unit has been created to better support survivors of violence, with the goal of reducing the rate of IPV in Peel. Officers in the IPV Unit have received special training in anti-racism and culturally appropriate and sensitive responses, domestic violence and sexual assault investigation, victim care and management, and interviewing children, to offer better care and support to survivors through an enhanced, trauma-informed approach. To better meet the needs of Peel’s diverse community, Black, racialized, and female officers are available, and members of the unit speak 14 different languages.
The addition of the IPV Unit to the Centre aligns with the existing Community Safety and Well Being Plan, improves efficiencies, and creates opportunities for enhanced collaboration between partner organizations. The main advantage for clients will be that survivors of violence who choose to make a report to the police will be able to do so conveniently, with specially trained officers sensitive to their needs, in a safe and comfortable setting, without having to visit a police station. Officers wear plain clothes, and interview rooms are comfortably furnished to help survivors feel more at ease. No client of the Safe Centre of Peel is ever required to make a police report, and personal information will not be shared with police or any other service provider without the client’s consent.
“It takes a great deal of courage for survivors of violence to reach out for help. At the Safe Centre of Peel, it is our goal to create a safe space for them, where they can access culturally responsive services that are suited to their personal situation. Through this collaboration with police, we hope to make the process easier and less intimidating for those clients who choose to involve law enforcement in their case,” said Shelina Jeshani, co-chair of the Safe Centre of Peel Advisory Committee.
The Safe Centre of Peel is based on the Family Justice Centre model, where multiple agencies offer services for survivors of family violence in the same location. This makes it easier for survivors to access the range of support that they need and creates new opportunities for collaboration between service providers. Family Justice Centres are operating in cities across Canada, the US, and around the world, improving outcomes for clients.
The Safe Centre of Peel is located at the Honourable William G. Davis Centre for Families at 60 West Drive. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SCoP offices are closed. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all services at SCoP are currently being offered virtually as the office is closed. Please contact the Safe Centre at 905-450-4650. If you are in crisis, please call the Victim Services of Peel 24-hour crisis line at 905-568-1068 or contact Peel Regional Police at 905-453-3311 or in case of emergency please contact 9-1-1.
Additional Quotes:
“Our newly launched Intimate Partner Violence Unit represents a substantial investment in a critical priority for our service and community. We will continue to push for enhancements to our service delivery through integration and colloboration with our service partners. This is the type of service innnovation which will equip us to make a difference in people's lives and save lives.”
- Nishan Duraiappah, Chief, Peel Regional Police
“Intimate Partner Violence places many in our communities at risk on a daily basis. Our service is committed to breaking that cycle of abuse and preventing violence. We are very proud of this milestone and all of our partners who helped us realize it. With their contributions and insights we will make our communities safer for our families.”
- Nick Milinovich, Deputy Chief, Peel Regional Police
“We have been collaborating extensively with not-for profit agencies like Safe Centre of Peel to ensure that survivors of intimate partner violence receive the care, support and resources that they deserve in order to move forward in their healing journey. Like all officers that work for Peel Regional Police, our IPV investigators have received anti-racism and culturally appropriate training to assist with facilitating mindful and sensitive responses that will help serve our diverse communities within the Region of Peel.”
- Lisa Hewison, Inspector, Peel Regional Police
“The Police Services Board is proud of the work that our police officers and support staff do every day. The creation of the IPV unit was a strategic priority for the Board as it ensures a community approach to protecting and supporting survivors and their families.”
- Ahmad Attia, Chair, Peel Police Services Board
To learn more and to access helpful resources, please visit the Safe Centre of Peel.
For media inquiries, please contact the on-duty Media Relations Officer at 905-453-2121, extension 4027.
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N/R # 21-099
Peel Regional Police – A Safer Community Together
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