Even without an active Neighbourhood Watch group in the community, the concept is still alive and vitally important in Wallaceburg.
The notion of the program was brought up in the community last week after a rash of incidents of mischief, theft, break-and-enters and vandalism in Wallaceburg:
– Police investigating mischief at Wallaceburg Legion
– Three schools targeted, 36 windows smashed in Wallaceburg
– B&E’s on the rise in Wallaceburg
– Wallaceburg tagged with obscene, vulgar graffiti
Based on feedback received through social media and to our email, the Sydenham Current posted a poll question last week following the string of incidents, asking if a Neighbourhood Watch group was needed in Wallaceburg.
The results showed that 92.09% of the votes, or 128 out of 139 people, said a group was needed in the community. A total of 4.32% (6 votes) said a group wasn’t needed and 3.59% (5 votes) were undecided.
What Neighbourhood Watch is all about
Special Const. Randi Hull of the Chatham-Kent Police Service told the Sydenham Current Neighbourhood Watch is a program that is often reactive based.
“So whenever something happens such as this community uproar we have from all of our vandalism and thefts and things like that, people are very concerned about their personal belongings at that point in the game,” Hull said.
“Nobody wants to be a victim, so that is often when we get the outcry of people wanting to do something in the neighbourhoods which is fabulous, but the sustainability is the key that we are looking at here. Often with Neighbourhood Watch, once the crime rate decreases, then people start to lose interest because there is nothing really happening.”
A Neighbourhood Watch group has existed in Wallaceburg for a number of years, but folded a few years ago due to lack of engagement and interest, Hull said.
The concept still exists
Many people in different communities say a formalized Neighbourhood Watch group isn’t necessary, as they are already watching out for their neighbours’ property, Hull said.
Const. Kelly Helbin, public information officer for the Chatham-Kent Police Service, agrees.
Helbin told the Sydenham Current that neighbours don’t need to be part of a group to watch out in the streets and come forward to police.
“I watch out for my neighbours. They watch out for me. We don’t have to be a part of anything to be able to do that within our community,” she said.
“We have a small community and we do, for the most part, stick together. We have so many avenues now that if people want to remain anonymous, they can. Through Crime Stoppers, even me checking the Chatham-Kent Police Service Facebook page. We understand that some people aren’t comfortable calling the police but we make it easy for people that they don’t necessarily have to call anymore.”
Hull said “a rash of victimization” in the community can often spark community interest.
“People are now responding to that negativity where prior to that unfortunately that’s the reason why Neighbourhood Watch wasn’t still going, because we didn’t have those bodies that were stepping forward. Life is busy and believe me, I am the last one that wants to step up and go to another meeting. I get that, but again that’s where it comes back to that Neighbourhood Watch is happening in our community without being formalized. It’s just coming back to sharing with your neighbours. You might not think it’s a big deal that your neighbour cares that your garage might have been entered last night, or you suspect it might, but maybe they saw something that you didn’t. It’s taking that time and talking with people.”
Tips for neighbourhoods and local residents
While looking out for your neighbours is one piece of advice for people in the community, Helbin said home owners can do more to protect their own homes and belongings as well.
“I know this from working in Wallaceburg and Chatham and every area in Chatham-Kent, when that nice weathers arrives throughout the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and through all hours of the night there are people wandering around on bicycles, on foot and they are luring around neighbourhoods,” she said.
“We do our best to patrol those neighbourhoods but again when they are on foot or on a bicycle they use them to hide. We have to lock our doors. Yes, they may still break in, but lets not make it convenient for them.”
Helbin said for example, the ATV stolen on Heritage Line in Wallaceburg this week, was taken from an unlocked garage and the keys were in the ignition of the ATV.
“We as citizens in the community, we have to do our part too,” Helbin said.
“It can’t just be the responsibility of the police. We do our best… why are we making it easy for these people to just go in and steal our belongings. Let’s make it more difficult for them, let’s keep our lights on, lock our doors, lock our windows especially when we are not home. Let’s not just make it easy for them. I don’t want to put the responsibility or all the blame on the home owners, but I think we have to lock our doors, and light things up. People are not usually going to go into well lit areas because they are easier for us to see.”
Helbin added: “I don’t know if I can stress enough but there are some very basic steps that we can take to ensure that our property and our house and everything are safe and I just don’t think we are fully doing that yet.”
Social media and other options
Helbin said social media is a great tool that the police and the community use together to help solve crimes.
“Social media is such a huge thing that even me putting something out on Facebook and it being shared, I think the citizens of this community are doing their part,” she said.
“I think we make it easy for people. People are up at odd hours of the night and they can send me a message on Facebook. Now I wouldn’t get that until the morning, but you know they can also call Crime Stoppers.”
Hull said in many places the Neighbourhood Watch programs are transforming into more of a community watch or a community mobilization program or group.
“We have some of those, like East Side Pride in Chatham is a perfect example of it,” Hull said, adding that the newly formed South Wallaceburg Action Team is another example.
“They really do a community watch program but not with Neighbourhood Watch name. So they are watching what is going on in their area and they have people stepping forward, because they care about what is going on in that area. That is where the community mobilization kind of shifts that thought process.”
Hull said the community needs to focus on more than just the crime happening.
“We need to make sure that the area within our parks and our children in that area are safe,” she said.
“Getting to know your neighbours, that is a big part of it because a lot of our community doesn’t even know who the people are living next to them because life is busy and we don’t want to be involved in somebody else’s business. So we don’t know that person that lives three or five doors down or make that effort to know that new person that has moved into the block to introduce yourself and let them know that we are here watching out for each other.”
Hull said the Crime Plotting tool (www.crimeplot.com) on the Chatham-Kent Police Service website is another valuable tool to access.
“You can check it out at your house and see what is going on in your own neighbourhood and be aware of stuff happening in Chatham-Kent or wherever it might be,” she said.
“Again using that little tid bit of information to help keep you as safe as you can.”
Forming a new Neighbourhood Watch group is possible
Hull said re-establishing a Neighbourhood Watch group is still a realistic and viable option for the community.
“If there is individuals who wish to join, and again it doesn’t have to be town wide, it can just be an area,” she said.
“The basic part of it is making the communication chain. So, making people aware of what is going on in the neighbourhood. Our signs are already still present in and around town as a deterrent, which is the original reason for leaving those up there.”
Hull said the basis of the group would be to make people aware of what is going on.
“And the bigger piece is calling the police and reporting if something is happening,” she said.
“If there is a suspicious person, a lot of people feel that if they call the police and they don’t necessarily know what is going on and may be wasting our time and that’s not the way the police service looks at it. Any information that we get could be pieces to the other bigger puzzle that we are trying to work on and help us solve crimes.”
Hull added: “It’s definitely viable that we get it going again. You can contact me at the police station in Wallaceburg or by email and we could arrange a time where we could pull those neighbours together and make people aware of what we are looking for them to report.”
Hull can be reached at 519-627-2296 ext. 3 or at randih@chatham-kent.ca.
– Photo credit: Aaron Hall
