Crime prevention report

Hi All,

Just a “short” report from our Crime Prevention Meeting on June2 25th. There were 14 Units in attendance which was very nice to see. Kristi Nelson from the City’s Crime Prevention Services and a Sergeant from the RCMP were there to share information and answer questions.

I guess one of the main concerns from our neighborhood is the house on the lot to the south of the Shores owned by Qualico Homes. There have been ongoing suspicious activities there and the long grass and weeds are of concern especially with regards to the fire hazard it poses to our community. Kristi has been in touch with a fellow from Qualico Homes who gave her some very pleasant news. The home on that property is to be demolished in the near future. Its demolition is out for tender at the moment and it will depend on the company that is awarded the contract as to just how soon the building will be torn down. This property is in the process of being rezoned so that it will no longer be available to be used for the construction of high density, multi-family homes. With regards to the unsightly and unsafe grass and weed issue, Qualico has been issued a letter of warning requesting that they mow the grass and clean up the property. They apparently have 2 weeks to comply. Also, whenever we spot any suspicious activity taking place at that abandoned residence we are asked to report it to the RCMP Non-Emergency Complaint Line ...780-830-5700. They encourage us to report any activity that we deem suspicious, both within and outside of, the gates of our community.

The issue of graffiti was also discussed and Kristi informed us that they like to have any

instances of graffiti, on city property, phoned in right away as they like to paint over it within 24 hours if possible. It has been proven that the quicker it is painted over the less likelihood there is of it reoccurring in that particular vicinity because the culprits know that somebody is watching that area. The “Report Graffiti” phone number is 780-830-7080. Graffiti on mailboxes should be phoned in to Canada Post and graffiti on ATCO utility boxes should be phoned to ATCO as they are both responsible for their own clean up. It has been proven that the quicker it is painted over the less likelihood there is of it reoccurring in that particular vicinity because the culprits know that somebody is watching that area. The “Report Graffiti” phone number is 780-830-7080. Graffiti on mailboxes should be phoned in to Canada Post and graffiti on ATCO utility boxes should be phoned to ATCO as they are both responsible for their own clean up.

There is also a really cool way of reporting an issue such as a pothole, graffiti, suspicious

person, etc. and that is by going to the App Store either on your computer or on your cell phone and downloading the “SeeClickFix” app. On your cell phone this app will use your

current location and it will then allow you to post a picture of the issue, describe it and submit it to the City where it will be forwarded to the correct department to be looked into. You can then go back into this app later and see if the issue has been dealt with.

There is a grant available, through “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design”’ for up to $5000. We can apply for this because we are not just a neighborhood, we are an

Association. We would have to match the grant, in kind, which means we would keep track of any volunteer hours spent in meetings, gathering information and quotes, typing minutes, filling out grant papers, etc. and that would go towards our matching share. A couple of projects that have been suggested are a light in TJ Gorman Park, just to the east of us, and motion lights in dark yards. These would help deter theft, vandalism and graffiti. If anyone has any other ideas please let a member of the Board know. I will be getting together with Kristi to see about getting forms to fill out for this grant as it has to be completed by September.

There is also talk of starting up a “Neighborhood Safety Team” which would be comprised of one or two volunteers from The Shores as well as volunteers from throughout the entire Crystal Lake area. This team would meet once a month and would try to identify, through surveys, safety audits and complaints, areas that are affecting the quality of day to day life in our Crystal Lake Community. These could be such issues as speeding, bullying, improper lighting, noise, and property and vehicle crime.

All in all it was a very informative meeting and we are awaiting some more information from Kristi at this time.

Below are a couple of other numbers that concerned citizens may like to keep handy:

Report a Drug House.....780-830-7444

Report a John................780-830-7077

Crime Stoppers.............1-800-222-TIPS (8477)

There is also a list of phone numbers attached for other City Service Departments as well as Qualico Homes.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions please don’t hesitate to call or email

myself or Gerald Raspberry. Our information is on your contact list.

Yours truly,

Lois Nellis

Secretary for The Shores