In response to a recent string of thefts, arsons and cases of vandalism, a group of Thompson residents decided to find a proactive solution to this problem by forming a new neighbourhood watch group.
The members of this group, known as Peace and Prevention Community, met outside City Hall May 29 to try and nail down the specifics of how they are going to operate on a week-to-week basis.
While they are still in the development stages, Stephanie Third, one of the group’s lead organizers, said their overriding mission statement is to “keep Thompson safe” by patrolling different areas of the community and acting as a deterrent to crime.
“Being visible and approachable as a group might help some people that aren’t able to request help for things or feel comfortable doing that,” she said. “That’s our goal right now.”
Third also hammered home the point that Peace and Prevention Community is not a vigilante group and doesn’t plan on adopting an aggressive approach towards crime prevention, especially since a lot of residents’ ire is being directed towards youth online.
“People are starting to get angry and I don’t want to see that happening to children,” she said. “I don’t like seeing those posts where someone’s like ‘I got my bat ready. Come on kids.’”
Instead, this group will focus on safety and compassionate outreach with their neighbourhood patrols and will never physically engage with someone who is committing a crime.
“That’s where I want to make sure the line is drawn. We’re not trying to be cops. We’re not trying to impose our views on people either,” said Third. “A lot of it will be us walking and possibly not even really interacting with any people for the first little while.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, several members of Peace and Prevention Community said that this kind of communal action is a long time coming, since many of them feel like the Thompson is becoming a much more dangerous place.
Statistically, crime is up over the past year, as the Thompson RCMP reported to council May 22 that their overall calls for service went up about 10 per cent since 2016-17.
While Peace and Prevention Community is gearing up for their inaugural patrol this upcoming weekend, Third said they are still looking for recruits who are willing to contribute in whatever way they can.
“We need people to be working on the Facebook page, we need people to be working on things like filling out applications for possible grants and taking questions from people,” she said. “So there are other roles people can take, even if it’s watching from their home and contacting us. It’s really very open, inclusive. Anyone can join. Anyone can help.”
To find out more about Peace and Prevention Community, join their Facebook group.
