Block Watch Success Story

I wanted to take this opportunity to share a Block Watch success story that we had this week.

I received an email from a Block Watch captain who had concerns about a vacant condemned property as well as an empty acreage lot in their neighbourhood. They had already contacted Bylaws and lodged a formal complaint and Bylaw officers had giving the property owner both a verbal and written warning. Bylaws attended again, along with the property owner who advised they would be removing the trailer and would be taking steps to prevent access so no one else could utilize the property. It’s important to note that the property had no access to plumbing or electricity, and this person was living out of a trailer and vehicle.

The Block Watch captain and participants noticed this individual was becoming very confrontational and was coming and going at all hours of the night and day. They were able to obtain a license plate number and had called it in to out non-emergency line to report the suspicious activity going on.

The information I received was immediately passed on to our Community Response Unit (CRU) which specializes in problem properties and chronic offenders. They attended the residence the same day and were able to make an arrest. This individual was breaching their conditions and as our members were onsite, the other individual was removing their belongings from the property.

The above is a great example of how reporting suspicious activity can make a difference. The group obtaining a license plate number was instrumental in being able to follow up accordingly because the individual was known to police and it gave us a better idea of the severity of the situation. The group utilized all available resources and took a stand that that type of behaviour would not be tolerated in their community.

Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do for your community. Keep up the good work!

Leanne