UCCC hosts week-long Power of Prevention Conference
Tibby Milne, CEO of the Utah Council for Crime Prevention which sponsors the event, is excited about this year’s conference and the opportunity it brings for those who participate.
“This is the third year we have had the conference at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center,” Milne said. “Though we invite people of all communities to attend, having the event in West Valley is a perfect central location full of a diversity of people who will walk through those doors and bring new insight to issues affecting us all.”
The Power of Prevention Conference will welcome specialized speakers and community discussions on several issues including bullying, suicide prevention, alcohol and drug abuse, gangs and drug cartels, neighborhood watch, identify theft and Internet safety.
“We will be unveiling at this conference a new initiative called ‘Enough is Enough,’” Milne said. “That program will help educate parents on ways to better exercise Internet safety.”
“We strongly believe that every child deserves to be protected from the dangers such as pornography, cyber bullying and other issues,” she said.
The conference typically welcomes more than 1,200 visitors during the variety of sessions. Several volunteers and members of different organizations help to make the event run smoothly.
“It is the greatest group of people who are working on this because they care about the mission we are trying to accomplish,” Milne said.
According to its website, the mission of the UCCP is “to mobilize, educate, and train children, youth, citizens, employers and law enforcement officers in preventive strategies to reduce the incidence of crime, violence, substance abuse, and their related problems in Utah communities.”
From Jan. 25 to 27, the conference will host a youth advocacy retreat, providing an opportunity for leaders and organizers to work directly with the youth and learn their point of view on the issues affecting them.
On Saturday, Jan. 28, there will also be an Interfaith Community Event as part of the conference. The event will be an opportunity for clergy and congregations of several denominations to discuss the role of faith in preventing abuse, improving quality of life and strengthening families.
“The goal of the Power of Prevention Conference is to involve the community in becoming a part of the solution,” Milne said. “Especially in dealing with the problems our children face today, learning ways to prevent those problems is vital to our community.”
For more information and to register for the event, visit www.utahcrimeprevention.com or call 801-486-8691.Registration is open for the entire week or for individual events and workshops.
