Aug 24th, 2022

CSS on the Beat: Meet Erika

In August, we sat down with Erika, a student working in the Community Safety Services department. She recently completed the Community and Justice Services Program at Algonquin College – and will continue schooling in the Wilfrid Laurier University’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Policing program this fall.

She said she took the job as part of a placement program to finish her Algonquin course.

“I researched OCH and was impressed by all they do for tenants and how involved they are in the community,” Erika said.

A typical day for Erika starts by updating the daily briefing template and sending it off to other departments. It gives a picture of any emerging or security issues across the portfolio. After that, she works on scoring reports – which provide information on the type of calls that Community Safety Workers attend. A few days a month, she also conducts tenant satisfaction surveys for the security calls that they have placed.

Erika said producing the score sheets is probably the most challenging part of her role. She said it can be tough to input all the information to get accurate monthly totals. Her favourite part is being able to read through the reports made by the Community Safety Worker team.

“It gives me a sense of what the CSW’s experience daily, how situations are handled, and what issues tenants are faced with,” Erika said.

The reporting helps look for long-term solutions.

When asked if she would recommend the summer student program at OCH, Erika had this to say:

“I would highly encourage any student to apply for the summer student program if they have the chance. I am beyond thankful for the opportunities I have been given which will help me in my future studies and careers. The staff and management have been more than welcoming, have supported me continuously throughout the summer program and have made me feel like I have always been a part of their team.”