Various neighbourhood patrol groups from across Winnipeg are meeting on Friday to try to address crime and safety concerns.
The aim is for the groups to find more ways to collaborate and have a more unified approach to patrolling neighbourhoods.
“As families, as members of the neighbourhoods, we should come together and do something to make the city a better place for our children,” 204 Neighbourhood Watch founder Leila Castro told Global News Morning.
The 204 Neighbourhood Watch started in 2017 after a 16-year-old was reportedly threatened by two men carrying a machete in front of the teen’s home.
The group is made up of citizens who walk around neighbourhoods documenting suspicious activity, dealing with drug paraphernalia and interacting with people to ensure they are safe.
It was started with help from the Bear Clan Patrol, an Indigenous-led neighbourhood watch group.
The group has since expanded and helped to create other watch groups in different parts of the city.
While part of the meetup will be spent exploring ways to address crime and safety, it’s also a chance for people interested in joining or forming a neighbourhood watch to learn more about the process.
The meetup will take place at Smitty’s on St. James Street from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.