COMMUNITY NEEDED TO CURB HIGH CRIME RATE, SAYS CHIEF

If Kenora residents want significant improvements in crime deterrence
and prevention in the city, they are going to have to get involved
themselves.

If Kenora residents want significant improvements in crime deterrence
and prevention in the city, they are going to have to get involved
themselves.

Kenora Police Services Chief Dan Jorgensen said this is the message he
wants to convey to the community because his officers are some of the
busiest in the entire province. "This is the busiest municipal police
service in Ontario in terms of crime rate per capita," said Jorgensen
during a recent candid interview.

According to 2004 figures from Statistics Canada -- the latest
statistics available -- Kenora's crime rate was just over 19,000
crimes per 100,000 population (approximately 1,900 actual crimes for
the year). This was higher than any other municipal police force in
the 5,000 to 15,000 population category, and all but a few forces in
any population range.

By comparison, Dryden had a crime rate of just over 7,300 per 100,000,
Thunder Bay was at about 9,300 and Toronto had a relatively low crime
rate of 5,500 per 100,000 capita.

One of the few communities to top Kenora was Red Lake, which similarly
acts as a transportation hub for northern First Nations communities.
Policed by the Ontario Provincial Police, Red Lake had a crime rate of
nearly 25,000 per 100,000 in 2004.

Police 'maxed out'

Jorgensen said these figures show why the police in Kenora are "maxed
out" and why the community must get more involved in policing their
neighbourhoods themselves.

"People don't realize the power they have within the community," said
Jorgensen.

He said neighbourhoods can organize themselves and watch for suspected
criminal activity, keep a record of it and call the police.

For example, Jorgensen said if they notice a suspicious pattern --
like once a week when numerous cars drive up, stay for 10 minutes,
then drive away -- it could be a drug dealer getting their regular
weekly shipment and selling to regular users.

The chief said when his officers are armed with these specific
details, they can be far more effective. He referred to it as
"community mobilization."

"When the community calls us with that kind of information, it's a lot
more effective than (the police) just driving by occasionally," said
Jorgensen.

He noted that a couple of neighbourhoods have already successfully
worked with police to deter criminal elements in their areas.

Most recently, a group of residents from the north end of the city
organized a public meeting last month that was attended by the police.
Solutions to their issues -- a house suspected to be drug den -- were
discussed, and steps have been taken to deter or rid the area of
future criminal activity.

Jorgensen praised the group for their initiative and encouraged other
neighbourhoods in the city to follow suit.

"We'll do this for any neighbourhood," said Jorgensen.

"If there is a problem house in their neighbourhood, call
us."

Social issues drive crime

Jorgensen attributed the high rate of crime to the fact that a lot of
people from outside communities, with an array of social issues --
homelessness, unemployment, addictions, a history of violence, and a
lack of education -- end up in Kenora with no place else to go.

"If you put a lot of people like that in your community, you're going
to have a lot of policing issues," said Jorgensen.

He said there is support available for people facing these issues, but
when these support systems fail, they often become a policing problem,
especially those with addictions.

Jorgensen said police are not educators, employment advisors, social
workers or addictions counselors. Until these issues are dealt with at
a community level, the chief warned policing costs will continue to
rise.

"The community should be very concerned about the attitudes towards
drugs and alcohol in our community," said Jorgensen.