While many auto thefts are out of the owner’s control, upgrading your car with additional security measures may provide peace of mind. Here are some ways to curb theft and protect your vehicle this summer.

1. Install a steering wheel lock: Steering wheel locks are one of the best ways to deter someone from potentially stealing your car. With dozens of affordable options on the market, curbing auto theft has never been easier. Be sure to do your research to find the device that best suits your needs.
2. Install a kill switch: Kill switch devices can prevent your car engine from starting if someone attempts to steal your vehicle. A kill switch is an electrical switch installed in a hard-to-find location that only the vehicle owner should know. When the switch is turned off, it does not allow the vehicle to operate. Be sure to have a reputable car dealer or mechanic install the device.
3. Upgrade your alarm system: Most cars have alarms that alert the driver of a possible intrusion. If you’re looking for an affordable upgrade, a motion sensor or shock alarm can provide an extra layer of security on your vehicle.
4. Contact your insurer: No matter how minor the incident, give your insurance company a call. Insurance providers such as Belairdirect will be able to advise you on how to proceed and can help you make a claim if you need to.

Ultimately, there is not one right way to protect your car from theft. However, layering these tips and staying vigilant can give you the tools to help deter it. If your vehicle gets stolen, always remember to report it to the police and your insurance provider as soon as possible.

L’article Vehicle theft prevention tips est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

“Today’s announcements aren’t changing the main problems concerning labour shortage, Quebec’s delay in home support, the lack of hospital beds, the lack of places in CHSLDs, or the under -funding of some services,” said Caroline Senneville, president of the CSN.

“To strengthen access to the most important, and ensure each patient sees the right professional, we must rely on CLSCs,” she added. “Over the years, CLSDs have been butchered in their mission. That’s why we’re having those problems today. Family Medicine Groups (FMG) are private companies. They’ll never be able to offer multidisciplinary teams everywhere in the province, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Yet, that’s what must be done to reduce the pressure in the establishments.”

The CSN doesn’t believe the government’s making the right choice by entrusting even more accommodation spaces to the private sector. On the contrary, those needs will have to convince the government to create new places in public CHSLDs.

The CSN regrets the government is still pushing back the shift toward home care. The inability of public’s network to provide the necessary services undoubtedly contributes to the congestion of the system we’re currently witnessing. Also, home support services are much less expensive than long-term accommodation. The CSN also believes we must focus more on prevention and social services, particularly with regard to mental health. (J.L-B\IJL)

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Emergencies Under Pressure est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

The medical staff could visually monitor the beneficiaries, and listen to what’s happening in their room, if necessary.

AQDR

President of the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées for Laval and the Laurentides (AQDR), Pierre Lynch, doesn’t say he’s against that measure, which could represent an invasion of privacy. Yet, he remains cautious about how that will be put into practice.

“My opinion is divided,” he said. “First, we know that there is a labour shortage, and at some point, some actions will have to be automated to make things more efficient. In that way, installing cameras in bedrooms isn’t a bad thing. On the other hand, the user must have given his authorization to put it into operation, and that he/she himself is able to decide whether to put it into operation or not.

Clarification needed

As for the management of this tool the government wants to put in place, Lynch raises a few points, which, in his opinion, should be regulated to avoid possible abuses.

“The use of cameras is a matter of personal and individual needs,” Lynch said. “It shouldn’t be treated as a collective gesture, but as an individual one. For people with a loss of autonomy, or more vulnerable, it would be important that the option isn’t only discussed with the patient, but also with family members.”

Privacy

When it comes to installing cameras in a place as private as a bedroom, the question of privacy is undoubtedly raised.

“The living environment in which the individual lives is HIS/HER living environment,” insisted Lynch. “In CHSLDs, the cameras inside the patient’s rooms are for prevention, We know the falls are on the rise. Now, we can install equipment for surveillance, but the use of the equipment must be authorized by the occupant of the room, and the members of the family.”

Possible abuses

“If an establishment transgresses the will of one of its patients, it will have to answer for its actions and put itself in a position to be prosecuted,” specified Lynch.

As for the CISSS de Laval, it’s approving those new measures, and would like to ensure those practices will be well supervised.

“The CISSS of Laval is in favor of installing cameras in the rooms of residents in CHSLDs and in elderly’s homes,” said Marie-Ève Despatie-Gagnon, spokesperson for the CISSS of Laval. “The installation of cameras in the rooms represents a solution through technology that supports the medical team, and allows better interventions with residents.”

Despatie-Gagnon also specifies that legal consent must be provided to the CISSS of Laval by residents or their families, if they’re unable to do so. Also, the project will be offered to the beneficiaries, who will have the choice to accept it or not.

The CISSS of Laval says it won’t sell the images or the data collected by the cameras.

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article Cameras to Watch the Elderly est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.

With this initiative, Laval’s community organization is employing an outreach worker in order to create meaningful connections with young girls working in the sex industry on Île Jésus who are victims, or at risk of being victims of sexual, financial, psychological and physical violence.

In Virtual Mode

The Internet part of the project connects with another group of young girls, which are those receiving their clients in private places, like an apartment, a condominium or house, and can only be joined online.

The project submitted by Laval’s SSSG thus answers the prevention and intervention program’s criteria, which financially supports projects looking to prevent and counter sexual abuse of young people who have been victims of it, or are at risk.

The prevention and intervention program mainly aims to increase the intervention capacity regarding to the fight against sexual abuse, improve knowledge on the characteristics of the victims, and establish practices that meet their expressed needs.

It’s one of the key measures of the government’s action plan for 2021-2026, in response to the recommendations of the Select Committee on the Sexual Exploitation of Minors.

Words from Elected Politicians

“Every day, the trap of sexual abuse closes on a significant number of minors, including young girls,” said via press release Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Security. “(…) Thereby, we also recognize the extraordinary work of our community organizations on the field in terms of prevention and intervention.”

“The safety of our young girls isn’t negotiable, regardless of the field they decide to work in for a living,” added Christopher Skeete, MP for Sainte-Rose, in the same press release. Yet, the number of young girls who are victims of sexual abuse is barely decreasing. (…) I am sure that the hiring of an outreach worker Laval’s SSSG will be of great help to its clientele of young women.” (B.L.)

translated by Alec Brideau

L’article More than $50,000 to Help Young Victims of Sexual Abuse est apparu en premier sur Courrier Laval news.