The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Northern Village of Denare Beach held a public forum on March 14 at the DenarePlex regarding the safety of the community. Based on RCMP reports over a period of four and a half months, Denare Beach has experienced upwards of 150 acts of vandalism, assault, break and entry and other criminal acts. The public meeting was attended by around 45 individuals wanting to know what can be done to improve protection of the village. Attendees were advised that Coun. Jean Champagne chairs the village's Protection Committee and Mayor Carl Lentowicz and the village council seek appropriate ways to reduce both petty and major crimes in the area. Sgt. Mark Svaren and Cst. Nick Drennan of the RCMP attended, providing information about what programs might be appropriate for citizen engagement to improve conditions. Some suggestions included Citizen Watch, Citizens on Patrol and Neighbourhood Watch, among others. The RCMP officers advised they would like to recruit candidates to an Auxiliary Constable Program, which they encourage residents over 18 years of age to consider. This program includes training, after which the auxiliary members would join the RCMP on patrols to help with local understanding and identification. Many questions came from an engaged audience. The audience was advised there may be some grant money available to assist with programs such as setting up Neighbourhood Watch. Sgt. Svaren suggested it would be in the residents' best interests to take measures to protect their property, such as identifying transportable goods like TVs, cameras and tools. Keep pictures and serial numbers of these items in a safe place. He advised to keep your garage doors closed when you are not close by to monitor, and lock your doors when you are not home. Other attendees suggested that instead of closing drapes in the evening, leave them open _ let the neighbourhood know you are home while at the same time observing the goings on in the neighbourhood. Get to know your neighbours and their habits; it all helps to reduce crime. These sensible tips seemed well received. Some discussion took place regarding whether a town curfew is effective, with the RCMP stating a curfew does nothing to reduce crime, which is mostly committed by people aged 17 to 25; but inconveniences younger kids and families who may be just out and about in the neighbourhood on a nice summer evening, or returning home from a friend's or from babysitting. Those in favour felt that a curfew would still discourage a lot of youth who are out and about in the later evening and help to hold parents accountable for their children's whereabouts. A number of folks felt that improved lighting in the village would help people as they mix and mingle about their neighbourhoods in the evening, while discouraging criminal activity which flourishes in the dark. Improved lighting will no doubt be a topic of further discussion among council. Residents were cautioned from taking anything other than reasonable measures to protect their property and lives from an immediate threat; face-to-face involvement with criminals is dangerous and the RCMP should be called. It is never worth risking a life to save property and it's much better to call 911. Know neighbours A good discussion ensued on the subject of getting to know one's neighbours and establishing relationships. It was stated that it is much easier to mistreat someone we don't know than someone we do. From this interaction came a suggestion that we do all we can in an attempt to engage all our neighbours in actions to protect our community. Some people wondered how we can approach those who may not have attended the meeting but may well be critical participants in helping reduce crime. How might we best reduce division in the community and how might that affect crime? Ensuring that all residents feel a part of the community, whether they are seasonal or year-round, whether they are currently engaged in community activities or tend to remain apart, everyone needs to be made welcome as partners in community awareness and crime prevention. The meeting concluded with a suggestion that a committee of interested residents be struck to look at what opportunities exist and which might best suit our community to improve protection and security. A significant number of participants indicated their interest in participating on such a working group. Any residents who were unable to attend the meeting are encouraged to identify their interest to Coun. Jean Champagne or to contact the village office. The councillors who were present at the meeting, Davis McKay, Scott McCullum, Karen Thomson, Jean Champagne and Mayor Lentowicz, appreciate the folks who came out on a cold March day to participate in this engaging discussion and to put their names forward to find solutions. They also commend Sgt. Svaren and Cst. Drennan for attending and providing their counsel to this debate. Other propositions placed in a suggestion box include: Placing 'no wake zone' signs, informing boaters to travel at lower speeds, in Shwaga Bay; Addressing the problem of residents using vacant lots for personal storage; Enforcing a curfew; More street lighting; Control over unsupervised dogs on public properties The first committee meeting was scheduled for this past Wednesday.
