MANITOBA CRIMINAL JUSTICE ASSOCIATION
2024 ANNUAL CRIME PREVENTION BREAKFAST
November 7, 2024
The Province of Manitoba declares annually that November is Crime Prevention Month. The MCJA dovetails that proclamation by hosting a yearly breakfast with over 200 attendees. We gathered at the historic downtown Fort Garry Hotel for the 2024 event.
Our audience included Judges from all 3 levels of our courts, Crown attorneys, defence lawyers, Winnipeg Police Officers, RCMP Members, Corrections officers, treatment centers providers, mental health clinicians, probations services, parole services and the general public.
Our keynote speaker for 2024 was Dr. Bob Chrismas. I had the distinct pleasure of introducing my friend of over 30 years, Dr Bob as I call him. Dr. Bob, formally known as Bob, has an amazing history. He dropped out of school in grade 11. He entered the workforce as a construction worker. He enjoyed the work but always had a yearning to get his grade 12, at some point. His education plan was put on hold as he started a new career at age 25. Bob became a Winnipeg Police officer. He had a very well-respected career as a police officer. He retired in 2023 after 30 years with the Winnipeg Police as a Staff Sergeant.
During those 30 years of working full time, and raising a family, Bob quietly pursued his education. He first attained his grade 12, followed by a BA, his MA and then his doctorate, ergo, Dr. Bob. That was such an outstanding endeavour considering he was concurrently on many boards, including our MCJA.
Dr. Bob was a well sought-after retiree with his police experience and his education. He is now the Team Lead for the Community Safety Team, a special unit of the City of Winnipeg CAO’s office. This team was organized to deal with the violence in our downtown streets, with an emphasis on transit violence. Dr. Bob has a team of 30 dedicated Safety Officers who now patrol the streets of our downtown area and ride the buses to ensure these conveyances are safe for transit drivers and the general public. The team is meeting with great success as the incidents of violence have gone down since their arrival. They work closely with the Winnipeg Police and Emergency services to ensure those in distress get the appropriate help they need with addictions and mental health concerns.
Dr. Bob outlined for us the steps to date, and the go forward plans for his unit. He envisions the team growing in size and covering a larger geographical area. Street safety is a concern to all Canadian cities. We are fortunate to have our Mayor Scott Gillingham and City Council allocate funding and resources for this pro- active safety team. Dr. Bob is a popular speaker at various venues to illustrate what the City of Winnipeg is doing to answer the concerns of its citizens. Our MCJA audience was captivated by the new team and its mandate.
Thank you, Dr. Bob, for your inexhaustible drive and commitment to your new career. We the people of Winnipeg thank you.
Mike Cook
President of the MCJA and Criminal Defence Lawyer.
2024 ANNUAL CRIME PREVENTION BREAKFAST
November 7, 2024
The Province of Manitoba declares annually that November is Crime Prevention Month. The MCJA dovetails that proclamation by hosting a yearly breakfast with over 200 attendees. We gathered at the historic downtown Fort Garry Hotel for the 2024 event.
Our audience included Judges from all 3 levels of our courts, Crown attorneys, defence lawyers, Winnipeg Police Officers, RCMP Members, Corrections officers, treatment centers providers, mental health clinicians, probations services, parole services and the general public.
Our keynote speaker for 2024 was Dr. Bob Chrismas. I had the distinct pleasure of introducing my friend of over 30 years, Dr Bob as I call him. Dr. Bob, formally known as Bob, has an amazing history. He dropped out of school in grade 11. He entered the workforce as a construction worker. He enjoyed the work but always had a yearning to get his grade 12, at some point. His education plan was put on hold as he started a new career at age 25. Bob became a Winnipeg Police officer. He had a very well-respected career as a police officer. He retired in 2023 after 30 years with the Winnipeg Police as a Staff Sergeant.
During those 30 years of working full time, and raising a family, Bob quietly pursued his education. He first attained his grade 12, followed by a BA, his MA and then his doctorate, ergo, Dr. Bob. That was such an outstanding endeavour considering he was concurrently on many boards, including our MCJA.
Dr. Bob was a well sought-after retiree with his police experience and his education. He is now the Team Lead for the Community Safety Team, a special unit of the City of Winnipeg CAO’s office. This team was organized to deal with the violence in our downtown streets, with an emphasis on transit violence. Dr. Bob has a team of 30 dedicated Safety Officers who now patrol the streets of our downtown area and ride the buses to ensure these conveyances are safe for transit drivers and the general public. The team is meeting with great success as the incidents of violence have gone down since their arrival. They work closely with the Winnipeg Police and Emergency services to ensure those in distress get the appropriate help they need with addictions and mental health concerns.
Dr. Bob outlined for us the steps to date, and the go forward plans for his unit. He envisions the team growing in size and covering a larger geographical area. Street safety is a concern to all Canadian cities. We are fortunate to have our Mayor Scott Gillingham and City Council allocate funding and resources for this pro- active safety team. Dr. Bob is a popular speaker at various venues to illustrate what the City of Winnipeg is doing to answer the concerns of its citizens. Our MCJA audience was captivated by the new team and its mandate.
Thank you, Dr. Bob, for your inexhaustible drive and commitment to your new career. We the people of Winnipeg thank you.
Mike Cook
President of the MCJA and Criminal Defence Lawyer.
