"It's all about crime prevention, getting at the root causes, taking extra time to solve the problem," he said at a luncheon meeting at Fazio's last week, organized by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce.

The traditional approach of policing has been primarily reactive -- officers respond to problems and make arrests, leading to an overburdened court system. A more preventative approach could nip problems in the bud, he said.

Dealing with the root causes of crime and partnering with community-based agencies that have a stake in it such as Whitby Mental Health and the John Howard Society is a more effective way to go, the police chief said, adding that many such partnerships already are making a positive difference.

"Throwing cops" at the problem is not the answer when areas, especially Oshawa and Pickering, are growing quickly.

"If we only deal with the symptoms, we are part of the problem," he said. "We have to build on the strengths of the community."

Now is the perfect time to initiate a new model of policing, Chief Ewles said. For the last few years between 70 and 100 new recruits have been hired by the service annually, covering off retirements and attrition.

A greater proportion is part of the younger "Net generation" whose work and life philosophies differ from their parents.

Many of those young recruits share similar traits -- they want immediate feedback, are media savvy, effective multi-taskers and they greatly value their time off, striving for "the work-life balance," he said, adding they also want to make a difference in the community.

"The new generation does not care what you do for a living -- it's what you do for fun," he said.

To attract and retain these police officers, the service has to strive to understand them and respond accordingly or risk losing them, he said.

"I can't afford to lose employees to you," Chief Ewles told the 40 primarily business people at the meeting. "I am going to steal the best and brightest from you if I can."

In the past, the police chain of command structure has been paternalistic and top-down in decision-making, he said.

"The challenge for us as senior leaders is to become more 'horizantally-alligned' " where collegiality and mutual respect among all ranks is a bigger focus.

Chris Douglas, a chamber board director and owner of CRCS Contracting in Oshawa, said the business community understands the need to focus on preventative policing.

"I agree that the community has to work in conjunction with the police," he said. "We have to nip things in the bud before there are more problems. Sometimes it's a case where quality is not in the quantity."

Chief Ewles also touched on the issue of making the community safer. That sometimes involves changing misguided perceptions, he said.

For example, some people are concerned about safety in the downtown when "Oshawa is a very safe area compared to other areas. We have to deal with people's perceptions."