York Region advancing community safety and well-being through collaborative actions

February 04, 2026
York Region advancing community safety and well-being through collaborative actions

Newmarket – York Regional Council received a progress update on the Community Safety and Well-being Plan, with collaborative work continuing from numerous partners to strengthen safety, improve service access and support residents throughout York Region.

Partners include York Regional Police, local municipalities and community organizations.

“York Region’s Fall 2025 Community Opinion Report identified crime and public safety remain a top concern, with 27% of residents stating it as the number one issue,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Eric Jolliffe. “Through the Community Safety and Well-being Plan, residents report feeling a stronger sense of security and belonging in their neighbourhoods. The results demonstrate when we invest in prevention, support neighbourhood-led solutions and work together, we build safer, stronger and more connected communities.”

Guided by a provincial framework and informed by local needs, the plan uses a place-based approach to reduce priority risks and improve resident well-being through targeted engagement and community-driven solutions.

Throughout 2025, Community Action Tables and Building Safer Communities Fund initiatives reached over 24,996 residents, helping build stronger communities and improve access to supports. By the end of 2025, 99% of these initiatives (121 of 122) were completed or in progress.

Additional 2025 program highlights include:

  • Supporting youth with employment-focused programming led by the Georgina Learning Café
  • Strengthening coordination among service providers, improving access to supports related to mental health, housing stability and employment
  • Continuing early, coordinated intervention and community support projects, including:
    • Children, Youth and Families Situation Tables, bringing together diverse, multi-sector service providers
    • Community Violence Prevention Fund, providing opportunities for funding to undertake community-driven proactive actions
    • Traumatic Incident Response Protocol, mobilizing local municipalities and partners to support the community following a traumatic incident
    • Mobile Youth Service Hub, delivering services to vulnerable youth to increase resource access, social inclusion and community safety
    • Service Navigator, providing residents with improved service access and navigation tools to increase awareness and access to available supports
    • Youth Supporting Youth Pilot, developing a peer mentorship program supporting youth with strategies and coping mechanisms

“Community safety is a shared responsibility, and York Region is proud to lead this work alongside York Regional Police, residents and our many partners,” said City of Vaughan Regional Councillor Gino Rosati, Chair of Community and Health Services. “By focusing on prevention, addressing root causes and ensuring services are accessible where they are needed most, we are creating lasting change. However, continued and sustained funding from senior levels of government is essential to keep this momentum going and ensuring all residents feels safe and supported.”

In 2023, York Region received $7.3 million from Public Safety Canada through their Building Safer Communities Fund grant to support implementation of the plan. This funding ends on March 31, 2026. Working with 30 community partners, initiatives are expanding service availability, providing grant opportunities and implementing resident-led solutions.

Throughout 2026, the Region will continue gathering targeted feedback to update the plan, building on current successes and lessons learned. An updated plan will come back to Regional Council for consideration in early 2027.

For more information on the Community Safety and Well-being Plan, visit york.ca/CommunityAction

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to 1.29 million residents and 57,000 businesses with approximately 624,000 employees. More information about York Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/RegionalServices 

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Media Contact:

Tamara Ostrowski, Corporate Communications,
The Regional Municipality of York
Phone: 1-877-464-9675, ext. 71226 Cell: 905-251-6412
Email: @email