MINDEMOYA – Recent chatter on social media about a rash of recent thefts of and from vehicles provided an impetus for the recent development of a Neighbourhood Watch program in Mindemoya.
“I had noticed quite a few posts on social media about people wanting to set up a Neighbourhood Watch program,” said OPP Community Services Officer Marie Ford. “I didn’t have a lot of experience with Neighbourhood Watch, but I have been involved in helping set up quite a few Cottage Watch programs.”
The opportunity to be proactive with efforts to reduce crime having presented itself, the veteran police officer was quick to act.
“I responded to one of the people that had been posting about it, we set a date for a meeting and quite a few people showed up,” she recalled. “We talked about what it would look like. The last thing anyone really needs these days is a bunch more meetings to go to,” said Constable Ford. The key, she said, was to be “effective but not invasive.”
Constable Ford set about researching Neighbourhood Watch programs. The programs were once quite popular and there are still a number of signs to be seen on the sides of some Island community streets.
All the programs Constable Ford discovered in her research were somewhat dated, but between community members and the base provided by earlier programs a suitable plan was constructed.
“This is really just going back to basics,” said Constable Ford. “One thing it is definitely not is a vigilante group or a nosey neighbour group. It’s just neighbours watching out for neighbours by keeping an eye on your neighbour’s property, letting your neighbour know when you are going to be away from your buildings. We are not asking people to investigate crimes or criminal activity,” she said. “Leave that to the professionals—that’s the police’s job.”
The Neighbourhood Watch program taps into the unique sense of camaraderie that is Manitoulin, noted Constable Ford. The group has started a closed Facebook page for the community, but although the group is closed, she still advises caution. “You still have to be careful what you post online,” she said.
The Mindemoya Neighbourhood Watch program is a blend of the old and new, noted Constable Ford. “People have stepped forward to be block captains,” she said. A number of people have committed to talking to their neighbours, particularly those who are elderly or not so computer literate.
The program has already proven its worth when a neighbour called 9-1-1 to report a break-in at their neighbour’s home.
“They did exactly the right thing,” said Constable Ford. “They picked up the phone and called.”
Public support is a crucial part of extending the reach of the arm of the law and has proven to be very effective in tackling impaired driving in recent years.
“The police can’t always be patrolling everywhere,” said Constable Ford. Public vigilance, and especially reporting, help to keep a watch on crime.
