The San Romanoway community in the heart of Toronto’s Jane Finch neighbourhood has always had a local reputation; today, its reputation has gone global. Historically lamented for its heightened levels of crime, violence and poverty, today the neighbourhood is being celebrated for its innovative, collaborative public-private approach to community revitalization.

Less than a month ago, the 5th Annual International Centre for the Prevention of Crime Colloquium on Crime Prevention was held in Santiago, Chile. The international conference examined the opportunities and challenges of community crime prevention, with a specific focus on private sector involvement, and a key element of the program featured presentations and a discussion about the work of the San Romanoway Revitalization Association
(SRA).

SRA Executive Director Stephnie Payne and Association Chair Kevin Green were guest speakers at the conference,
and the Canadians introduced the esteemed international audience to the San Romanoway model and explained how the program, built on a public-private partnership model, has succeeded. Established in October 2000 by building owners, management, residents, law enforcement, and local businesses, the San Romanoway Revitalization Association took an aggressive approach to community safety issues, and sought the involvement of a variety of stakeholders, both
public and private.

During his remarks at the Conference, Kevin Green, who is President of Verdiroc Development Corporation and President of Greenwin Inc., addressed the importance of private/public partnerships and emphasized that community revitalization should resonate more with building ownership and management around the world. "Landlords," Green suggested, "should ask themselves if they want to lower vacancies, want to reduce vandalism and the associated costs, and if they want to increase the value of their assets." He went on to say that if they answer yes to these questions, than they need to engage with the public sector and find solutions to the problems in their communities. Among his remarks, he also referenced a recent neighbourhood study that examined the quality of life at San Romanoway.

Conducted in the Fall of 2004 by Dr. George S. Rigakos, Professor of Law and Criminology at Carleton University, and supported by the SRA, Canada’s National Crime Prevention Centre, the Law Commission of Canada and the owners of the buildings, the 2004 survey results were compared and related to the results of baseline survey obtained 28 months earlier.

"Dr. Rigakos examined neighbourhood issues including demographics, domestic violence, property and violent crime, drug availability, policing and security, and community improvements and programming," added Stephnie Payne, at the ICPC Colloquium. "The results confirm that the SRA is making a difference in this community-a difference in people’s lives. I am confident that our work has greatly contributed to improvements reported since the last survey."

Seen by many as the driving force behind the Association’s success, Payne and the members of the SRA Board created an environment for change by establishing a social support and crime prevention program for the San Romanoway community, and the Jane-Finch neighbourhood at large. During her presentation in Chile, Payne indicated that the Association truly works, in large part, because it has always been positioned as a collaborative effort between "the private sector, government and other non-profit organizations. "With public monies and private funding we provide community development and safety, find proactive solutions to the problems of youth violence in the neighbourhood, and offer cultural/social, educational and enrichment programs for children, youth and families, but," she adds, "we are not just ‘another social service agency’. "Instead, the San Romanoway Revitalization Association is a place where children, youth and families feel comfortable and safe, talk or listen, find a mentor or a friend; it’s a place where residents help each other to build a safer and healthier environment."

And after Kevin and Stephnie’s participation at the Annual Colloquium on Crime Prevention, the SRA is now also a model for the world.