October 30, 2000 marks the launch of Crime Prevention Week 2000. Attorney General Jeffrey E. Lantz officially launched Crime Prevention Week 2000 in a ceremony at the École François-Buote earlier today. The audience included the student and staff population at the École François-Buote, the Crime Prevention Week Planning Committee and steering committee members with the Prince Edward Island Crime Prevention Association.
"Crime Prevention is very important to our communities. It is though activities such as the Peace Walk that we can educate people and promote safer communities for you and for your families, friends and neighbours," said Jeffrey E. Lantz, Attorney General. "The theme for Crime Prevention Week 2000 is It Takes a Whole Community to Keep us Safe – a very fitting phrase enforcing that we share responsibility for promoting safe communities."
Darlene Arsenault, Principal at École François-Buote, made the following comment, "François-Buote School is proud to present the Peaceful Mile banner during the official launching of Crime Prevention week. Messages of peace and harmony have to be verbalized in a formal fashion so that people will become aware of the harmful effects of violence. Together we can make a difference in creating a better world. Let's work hand-in-hand for Peace and Silence the Violence."
"This is a wonderful way to partner with schools in Crime Prevention Initiatives. This activity by École François-Buote helps us to promote violence awareness and violence prevention at all levels," stated Nancy Marie Arsenault, Child and Youth Services Coordinator for Transition House Association.
"Although crime prevention is an activity that we work on daily, Crime Prevention Week offers the opportunity for Island organizations to demonstrate their link to crime prevention. For example, activities to educate Islanders about frauds and scams is indeed crime prevention; educating Islanders on inclusion, and that feelings of loneliness and exclusion can lead to acts of violence and other criminal activity, is crime prevention. It is by creating links with other groups and working together that we will begin taking those steps toward creating safer communities," remarked Pamela MacEachern, Coordinator of the Prince Edward Island Crime Prevention Association.