Lethbridge based, The Watch received an award for its contributions at the Alberta Community Justice Awards (Photo: Lethbridge Police Service)

By Drew Stremick

14 Organizations

Albertans awarded for improving safety in their communities

Jun 20, 2022 | 9:17 AM

LACOMBE, AB – Fourteen organizations and individuals from around Alberta received Alberta Community Justice Awards at a ceremony in Lacombe.

The awards were given to Albertans who worked towards preventing crime and promote restorative justice in neighbourhoods, towns, and cities.

The event was co-hosted by the Alberta Government, Lacombe Police Service and Lacombe District Family and Community Support Services. The event highlighted five catagories where Albertans excelled, including.

• Leadership
• Innovation
• Community Mobilization
• Partnerships and Collaboration
• Service Enhancement

The majority of those awarded were located in Calgary and Edmonton, but one local organization was as well. That being Debbie Leitch of Rural Red Deer Restorative Justice in Blackfalds.

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Leitch is a retired nurse who developed, recruited facilitators and took on a significant caseload for what would become the Rural Red Deer Restorative Justice program.

A Lethbridge organization was also among those awarded for its contributions.

The Watch Project was awarded under the Partnership and Collaboration category for its continued use of social outreach and intervention to help with community safety in downtown Lethbridge.

Alberta Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro said in a release that all the recipients have stepped up in order to make Alberta a better place to live.

“Whether they’re helping Albertans fight racism and inequality, doing street-level work to deter crime or helping individuals navigate the legal system, the recipients of this year’s Alberta Community Justice Awards have all helped make this province a safer, more community-minded place.” Shandro said.

The full list of recipients, and additional details about the Alberta Community Justice Awards can be found on the Government of Alberta’s website.