Hello all,
I would be very pleased to work with the community to get this up and going.
Constable Dobson is still the contact. In order for this to be successful there has to be a willingness from community members to get this going. There will be a need to get a captain or co-captains in the area to get this started.
If you would like my assistance to set up a meeting there are a couple of steps.
Private Message me and I will get you the information; I have some flyers at my home that I can drop by.
Regards
Elizabeth Roy[/color]
This is from Sept 21, 2006,,,in the archives
This is the response I received from Constable Dobson re: Neighbourhood Watch in Whitby Shores. It's long but you may know who to contact in the area you live. I would be in Phase 5. If you are too let me know, and we will see where we are headed.
How wonderful to hear from another resident of of Whitby Shores! We currently have two N/W programs running in your community.
Phase one was established in May of 2000, and comprises 112 homes on the following streets: 257-325 Whitby Shores Greenway, Coastview Ct, Estuary St, 38-116 Breakwater Dr, 70-129 Portage Tr, 1-53 Lighthouse St (odd #s) - This Watch is currently given leadership by Mrs. Heather Rademacher and Mr. Gary Frizzell
Phase two was established in Sept of 2003, and comprises 150 homes on the following streets: 360-438 Whitby Shores Greenway, 4-37 Forescastle Drive, 2-30 Breakwater Drive, 2-44 Four Winds Drive, 1-37 Channel Drive, 1-61 Portage Trail, Eggert Court - This Watch is currently given leadership by Mrs. Kim Ritchie and Mr. Chris Berlette
Phase three is currently under development, and will comprise the homes on 440-502 Whitby Shores Greenway (both sides), Steamer St, Regatta Cr, Bayside Gate, Bliss Ct, Scadding Av, Hanlan Ct, Tallships Dr - This project is being led by Mr. Chris Atwood
A proposed Phase four is being considered, which would comprise the homes on Bayside Gate, 103-153 Whitby Shores Greenway, Point Hope Place - I have had a few people who live on these streets make inquiries, but no specific movement forward at this time
A proposed Phase five is being considered, which would comprise the homes on 162-247 Whitby Shores Greenway, Havenwood Pl, Anchorage Av, Seabord Gt, Inlet Bay Dr, Shelter Bay Ct, Vista Beach Ct - I have had a few people who live on some of these streets make inquiries, but no specific movement forward at this time.
You will see some information about the Neighbourhood Watch program on the front page of the most recent Whitby Shores Greenway Newsletter (Aug/Sept issue). If you are interested in becoming a part of the program, to assist in getting one of the new phases up and running (phase 5), I would be delighted to meet with you and speak further with yourself and the other local inquirers about the implementation process. In the meantime, I am copying some general information about the program into the body of this email, below, for your perusal.
Neighbourhood Watch is a community crime prevention program designed to reduce threats of crime to homeowners and their property. Groups of citizens are organized by their peers and brought together at a crime prevention meeting. They are made aware of the importance of communicating and getting to know each other and given crime prevention training and tips. By knowing who belongs in their neighbourhood and normal day-to-day activities, they are better able to evaluate what is suspicious and call police. In this way they help their neighbours and are less apt to become victims themselves. Citizens trained in the program have keener observation skills. Their quick actions have led to numerous arrests, and a variety of incidents, ranging from thefts of Christmas lights and damage to rural mail boxes to car thefts and residential break and enters, have been cleared as a result."
Generally speaking, a Watch comprises a local neighbourhood of between 100-400 homes, with a resident acting as Watch chairperson and another as co-chair. These two work together to recruit Block Captains to facilitate communication (an average of one Block Captain per 20 homes). When the boundaries have been defined and the Chair, Co-Chair and Block Captains are in place, a crime prevention training meeting is held in one of their homes, and these people are then equipped with the tools and resources to go out to their defined neighbourhoods to explain the program to them and to get the residents of the community "on board". There is a requirement for 75% of the neighbourhood to sign the petitions sheets which the Block Captains have in order to launch a Neighbourhood Watch. Because the program is completely community-driven, a small collection is usually requested by the Block Captains from those signing up (one or two dollars) to create a fund to finance the purchase of signs and the printing of newsletters. These funds and the communication are the responsibility of the Watch Chair and Co-Chair. Often one of the Block Captains will act as treasurer or secretary, and an account will be set up in the name of that Neighbourhood Watch.
Once 75% sign-up has been achieved, an official "endorsement meeting" is held in the community, with representation from the municipal government and the police service to encourage the community in its crime prevention efforts. Our Service supports the process by means of information, training, advice and promotional materials, and the community takes charge of the process of becoming a Neighbourhood in which neighbours watch out for one another.
Feel free to contact me again if you wish to move forward with this. Yours in crime prevention and safety,
Morgen Dobson
Regional Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Durham Regional Police Service
PO Box 911
Whitby, Ontario
L1N 0B8
Phone: 905-579-1520 ext. 4803
Toll-Free: 1-888-579-1520 (in the 416, 705 and 905 area codes)
Fax: 905-721-4291
E-Mail: mdobson@drps.ca
Website:
http://www.drps.ca
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