After her husband's wallet was stolen, along with a backpack, and their vehicle was ransacked and cleaned out, Beckey Franke is determined to revive Estevan's Neighbourhood Watch program. She is receiving the full support of the Estevan Police Service in this effort.
The Neighbourhood Watch program had been implemented in various sectors of the city over 10 years ago, but as time marched on, the intense interest in the value of a co-operative neighbourhood waned.
But with minor crime rates rising to more extreme levels these days, Franke feels there is probably some renewed interest. With that in mind, she has arranged for a public meeting to discuss the program on Monday, Nov. 28 in the activity room at the Souris Valley Aquatic and Leisure Centre starting at 7:30.p.m.
"We're looking for people to be more proactive. We also need to know what to do when we do see something suspicious. Everyone makes mistakes, we leave things where they shouldn't be, or leave a car door unlocked," said Franke.
"If we get the program going, then people in the neighbourhood can get to know one another again, and if we know them, then maybe we can help them," Franke said.
According to Estevan Police Service member, Const. Don Dechief, theft from automobiles and auto theft is a common occurrence in the city and many of the minor instances go unreported.
"People think we're not going to solve the crime anyway and that we can't respond quickly enough, but if they do report a crime, then it becomes an important statistic we can use to get more funding, more police officers out there working on crime. We also learn where the hot spots are in the community and can devote time and personnel to those areas," Dechief said.
The police officer said the Neighbourhood Watch program stimulates the eyes and ears in specific areas of the city so people will report suspicious persons or certain activities that just don't seem normal. They'll also be more aware of the need to keep hedges trimmed to improve sight-lines and to keep the yards well lit in the evenings.
"The thieves are smart enough to know, for instance, that people are out on Friday and Saturday night and that we (police) will be out spending a lot of time on the bar scene, so they know where and when to strike. They see us heading out somewhere, they know we probably only have one patrol, so know they can get into an area. But if we get a call regarding a theft in progress for instance, our response time can be quick. But if that person has already scared the thief away, the chances of catching him are reduced," said Dechief. Those are the little things you learn to do, and not do, under the Neighbourhood Watch program.
"Don't confront ... call. Then we'll have a better change of catching them in the act. I know the first reaction for most people would be to challenge the thieves, but then you just scare them off. If police can get there soon, even if we don't catch them in the act, we might better learn who they might be and where they might have gone and can check them out later."
If people get together on their block, arrange for well-lit yards, good sight lines and fewer dark spots it helps. Hearing strange noises means a cursory investigation can lead to a successful arrest.
The Watch program also teaches citizens how to provide a description of a culprit or a scene and of course, "if you get a licence number that's huge," said Dechief.
With enough assistance, there could be an Estevan Neighbourhood Watch website, said Franke.
"We want our citizens to be the eyes and ears out there, or one big eye and one big ear," Franke added.
The program is not so different from the successful RID (Report Impaired Drivers) program and the Rural Crime Watch program that is working well in the southern part of the RM of Estevan.
"I take my hat off to Beckey for thinking of reviving the program. She brought the idea to us and I'm happy to be the police liaison officer for it. The more we get people on board, the more successful it will be," said Dechief.
