It is not surprising, but verbal and physical abuse in City-owned facilities and properties are not to be tolerated.
That should not be a surprise, but on Monday Yorkton Council unanimously supported the creation of a new Prevention of Verbal and Physical Abuse in Recreation Facilities and Properties Policy to formalize how best to deal with such incidences.
“It is critical for the City, through its Department of Community Development, Parks and Recreation, to do all things necessary to ensure that preventative measures are in place so that incidents of verbal and physical abuse do not occur in its recreational facilities or properties,” explained Darcy McLeod, Director Community Development, Parks & Recreation said Monday at Council. “The City needs to further ensure the most supportive climate possible for Yorkton children and youth, so that they can enjoy their sport or activity and learn about competition, teamwork, sportsmanship, respect and fair play.”
Of course that commitment has just now taken the form of policy. That may sound like an idea long overdue, but it is also an indication the situation is becoming better recognized, and prevalent.
To the City’s credit it did undertake a broad approach in creating the new policy.
Administration worked with local sports organizations and conducted research with the intent to develop the policy.
Next information was gathered from the Cities of Hamilton and Mitchell in Ontario; the Cities of Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta as well as Minor Hockey Associations in Lloydminster and Estevan.
The spectrum of communities illustrates that the issue of abuse in the context of recreational facilities is quite widespread.
Administration received further input from local arena user groups at their annual fall meeting as well as from staff at both the Gallagher Centre and Kinsmen Arena, said McLeod.
And, finally the R.C.M.P. was consulted prior to moving forward with the approval process.
Having the police involved is necessary, but tells you how far abuse can be taken. There are sadly situations where one of the first calls has to include the police because ultimately they have access to the best tools to deal with abusers.
While the creation of a municipal policy provides a valuable tool in dealing with situations which arrive moving forward, the causes of such abuse need to be worked on so that we can evolve away from the seeming growing problem.
In the policy document circulated to Council Monday it was stated the City is committed to providing organizations with a safe and positive environment.
However, included in that commitment was an understanding that organizations using City Recreation Facilities must accept and take primary responsibility for the behaviour of all those persons associated with them.
“All staff, spectators, athletes, coaches, team officials, board members and game officials are expected to exhibit the highest levels of sportsmanship and respect to role model positive behaviour for our youth,” said McLeod.
And therein lies the root of the situation. We should all know better than to verbally, or physically abuse anyone at any time, and that certainly includes when involved in sport and recreation in our city. That is a lesson we all need to take to heart and then perhaps the new policy can simply gather dust rather than be required to deal with unfortunate situations.
