Residents of south Winnipeg will have a chance to make their voices heard Thursday night on the topic of crime and safety.
A public forum, which will include representatives of the Winnipeg Police Service as well as community leaders, will be held at South Winnipeg Community Centre in Waverley Heights, and organizers say it’s a way to strengthen the area’s neighbourhoods and keep people and properties safe.
Masroor Khan, president of the South Winnipeg Community Association, told Global News that — like many areas of the city — his community has seen an uptick in crime, and is working on developing a neighbourhood watch program.
Making sure all of the community stakeholders are on board with this kind of safety project — from area residents to civic officials to business owners to police — is key, he said.
“That’s the most important thing. Unless we have stakeholder involvement, and reporting is encouraged, crime, of course, always soars.
“I think there’s growing awareness in the community now, and growing concern about rising crime in this area.”
Khan said south Winnipeg is also becoming a hub for newcomers to Winnipeg, and it’s important for recent immigrants and longtime residents to work together to keep the community safe.
“Immigrants from around the world come and settle in this area,” he said, “and it’s very important to welcome them and create a vibrant environment … and that newcomers are also aware of what’s going on in this area.
“With the help of local residents who have lived in this area for a long time, we can work together and address this crime issue.”
Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said she’d like to see more proactive work done by community organizations across the city to combat crime.
“It’s a bit of chaos and bedlam going on (in Winnipeg),” Lukes said.
“The Winnipeg Police Service is at full capacity working around the clock trying to solve and resolve and deal with these issues, but really what needs to happen is more proactive work.
“There’s a few factors that play into this — mental health, poverty, homelessness and kids needing positive things to do.”
Lukes said these issues aren’t unique to Winnipeg — cities across the country are struggling with similar concerns.
Thursday night’s forum, she said, will help those in the south end take proactive measures.
“(We’ll be) talking about crime in the south end and what individuals can do to protect their property and take care of their well-being.
“I encourage the public to come out. We’ve got a lot of space and we want to hear from them.”
Insp. George Labossiere will be at the forum representing police. Creating close community ties, he said, is an important takeaway.
“Winnipeg is a great city — it has a lot of potential,” Labossiere said.
“It’s grown immensely over the past 20 years, but we’d be wise to maintain that small-town attitude in terms of knowing your neighbours, understanding who lives around you.
“If you can know your neighbours and start to understand their needs and start to help support them, I think we make ourselves safer, we keep our properties safer, and we make our community better.”
The community forum runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at South Winnipeg Community Centre in Waverley Heights.
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