EAST SIDERS HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES FIGHT CRIME

An East Side community group that has successfully cleaned up its
neighbourhood is turning its attention to making the business strip along
Kingsway safer.

Dickens Community Crime Watch formed last year with about 100 members to
combat escalating problems with drugs and prostitution. Members organized
night-time patrols, picked up garbage and planted gardens to discourage
criminal activity on their streets. Buoyed by the results of its efforts,
the group wanted to extend its influence to local merchants, and held the
first of what it hopes will be ongoing meetings with business owners a few
weeks ago. The inaugural meeting's focus was on employee safety and
business security and included a presentation by Const. Gerry Burke and the
Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood Safety Office.

Member Michael Chamish said one of the group's primary objectives is to
establish better communication with neighbourhood shopkeepers and their
staff. "It's in the business owners' interest [to get involved]. I've been
walking around and talking to a lot of them."

His message has been well received by merchants such as Narcy Vinluan of
Style Cuts. Vinluan's store has only been on Kingsway for slightly more
than a year but has already been broken into. "I'm new here so I want to
know my neighbours and know how safe I am," she said. "It's wonderful-I
feel secure and happy. I'm confident now and I feel I could stay here. This
is a good idea and I want to cooperate with this group."

Chamish said he realizes pushing the drug and prostitution problem out of
his neighbourhood means another community will have to deal with it, but
the group has already established a long-term committee to try and address
that concern. "Obviously it's a pretty big issue. We want to solve the
problem in our area and others."

Although turnout at the first meeting wasn't as high as the group would
like, Chamish is convinced numbers will increase with every meeting.