Petty thieves, druggies, vandals ... you've been served notice. Your victims and their friends and neighbours are watching for you now.
About two dozen people filed into the activity room at the Souris Valley Aquatic and Leisure Centre Monday night and by the end of the evening more than a dozen of them signed up to be captains in a Neighbourhood Watch program that will focus on reducing crime in Estevan.
After being victimized by thieves too many times, Beckey Franke decided something needed to be done and on Monday she was joined by several more victims and those who may not have been victimized but are wanting to ensure that their neighbourhood isn't the next one targeted by the bad guys.
Constables Don Dechief and Danielle Stephany of the Estevan Police Service, who will serve as the liaison officers for the program as it rolls out through the city, told the gathering that most of the petty thieves are territorial. They stake out certain areas of the city, do their homework and then exploit the neighbourhood weakness.
They urged those in attendance to become one big eye and ear for their area of the city by rallying together to put up security cameras and lighting, to ensure their residential street number is well displayed and clear in both front and back of the property and that vehicles, garages and sheds are secured. They also provided them with helpful hints on how to report suspicious activities.
Franke said with increased media involvement and word-of-mouth and social media helping the cause, there was a good chance of keeping the Neighbourhood Watch program moving forward. She said she will soon be contacting the 12 to 14 area captains to arm them with further information as to how to organize a watch project at no cost to the participants.
She noted it was an excellent opportunity for the people to get to know their neighbours and learn a little bit about them without being snoopy or invasive. She also noted that Victim Services will be coming aboard as a resource agency.
"We just want you to be aware and to watch out for one another and that's what you probably want to do anyway. This program will help train you how to observe and report illegal activities," Franke said.
A community that raises its awareness levels is one that will become safer, said Dechief.
The two constables provided some early advice such as removing valuables from vehicles, even if they are locked, and that would include receipts or other items that could lead to identity theft.
"Help us get the statistics so we can provide more manpower, more resources for fighting crime. If this works well, the phone calls to the police will go up because you'll be phoning us more often about things that are going on in your neighbourhood, but if this is successful, they'll then start to go down because the crime level will go down," Dechief added.
"If we hear from you, and the incident may not seem to be that much of a big deal for you, it might be for us because it could place a suspect we have in mind at a certain place at a certain time and that can be huge."
Dechief went on to say that "Estevan is getting bigger, as we all know. People are moving in who have records and because they're not from here, they don't care. You do."
Stephany pointed out how innocent looking items in a backyard can be used by thieves or vandals to enhance the damages they inflict on the victims. She said police realized that most of the residential crimes are happening in the dead of night and that's why motion sensors, cameras and lighting are good weapons since they reduce the darker hiding spots that the perpetrators use to avoid detection.
Franke said she felt that having 12 to 14 potential captains willing to go to the next step was a big move forward. The turnout was strong enough to warrant it, she added.
"As more people hear about what is happening, they may want to become involved too."
