Efforts to set up a Neighbourhood Watch program in North Battleford took another step forward Oct. 24.
That was the evening for an organizational meeting to set up Neighbourhood Watch in the city, held at the Don Ross Centre.
At the meeting were Mayor Ian Hamilton and Sgt. Darcy Woolfitt with Woolfitt doing most of the talking before some 40 individuals who attended.
The Neighbourhood Watch meeting is one of a number of meetings and efforts organized on the heels of several high-profile crime incidents in the Battlefords in the past number of weeks - incidents that have included a stabbing death, shootings, walking trail attacks and a number of armed robberies.
Sgt. Woolfitt's presentation saw far less of the rancor shown at the Sept. 30 meeting on public safety held in the adjoining Don Ross gymnasium, as he provided information and answered questions about what Neighbourhood Watch would entail.
He told reporters the objective of the meeting was to "inform people what the Neighbourhood Watch program is about, what it can do for the community if we can get enough people to mobilize and get to know each other in the neighbourhood."
The idea, he explained, is for those people to co-ordinate and be "the eyes and ears" of the neighbourhood if there are suspicious activities going on there.
At the meeting, Woolfitt provided an outline of how the Neighbourhood Watch organization would be set up, showing an organizational chart in which block captains are set up to help lead efforts.
Woolfitt also provided suggestions at the meeting on what to look out for. Suspicious activity could include strange noises such as glass breaking, screams, loud bangs and so on.
He also stressed the importance of "getting to know your neighbour" and knowing what counts as normal activity in the neighbourhood.
He discouraged "vigilante" actions and encouraged Neighbourhood Watch participants to not get involved and to call the authorities when they see suspicious activity.
In speaking to reporters following the meeting, Woolfitt explained the idea is for people at the meeting to go back to their neighbourhoods, talk to their friends and organize groups where they can participate in activities to provide information on home security, what to look for and how to report to the police.
He called that evening's meeting a "beginning step in getting this program off the ground." The plan is for another meeting in the near future to see where people were at and how to move to the next step.
Signup sheets were provided and those would be cross-referenced with those who signed up at the Sept. 30 public meeting. As well, those interested in signing up can contact City Hall. If co-ordinators are in place in certain areas, the plan is to refer them to those leaders there.
Mayor Ian Hamilton was encouraged by the interest shown.
"It's a good start to a groundswell that I strongly believe will occur in the city of North Battleford."
He says more meetings are anticipated in the future weeks to get the program started, and fully expects the individuals who showed up at the meeting will be spreading the word to their friends and neighbours.
"I'm enthusiastic and optimistic about how much area of the city that we'll cover."
