SOUTH HANEY GROUP LOOKS TO CLEAN UP NEIGHBOURHOOD

Despite fearing reprisals from local criminals, one neighbourhood
organizer is doing what she can to make South Haney a little safer,
one block at a time.

"I'm on their hit list," said Sara, discussing area criminals. She
said police had advised her not to use her last name for fear she
might be targeted.

Sara is an organizer for the South Haney neighbourhood watch. The
group is her attempt to create the same sense of community and
familiarity between law-abiding citizens that she believes exists in
the drug community, which she says shares the neighbourhood.

"The crack addicts and the drug dealers all know each other," she
said.

Sara is planning a neighbourhood watch meeting scheduled for this
Thursday, between 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Ridge Meadows
Association for Community Living on 224 Street near Callaghan Avenue.

She said after spending some time in South Haney, she decided to
address what she saw as a lack of cohesiveness in the community. "I
came to the conclusion that really no one knew each other in the
neighbourhood."

The neighbourhood watch currently has 21 members according to Sara,
and more people are joining in walks between 223 and 225 Street
between the Haney Bypass and Lougheed Highway.

Besides taking walks through the area, Sara said it's very helpful to
make sure everyone in the community knows about recent thefts and have
an idea about the state of the neighbourhood. She said writing down
the licence plates of cars being used for drug deals has shown signs
of being effective.

Sara said she was inspired to begin the organization when she came to
the conclusion one of her neighbours was defrauding landlords in order
to secure housing for drug dealers.

Sara said as more people join in on the walks, fewer people are
looking to buy and sell drugs on her street.

Sara said part of the group's success was due to the simple act of
putting up lights.

She said an alley near a pre-school was frequently a bastion for drug
deals and sex with prostitutes, but the area has been much more
peaceful since the introduction of a set of lights.

"The alley was really dark. You couldn't even see down it," she
said.

Sara said she will be looking for help from the city of Maple Ridge to
clean up some particularly bad areas.

"This community needs to come together," she said. Sara said some
criminals who know about the neighbourhood watch have identified her.

"Three weeks ago someone came and cut the lock on my gate," she
said.

Despite her fear, Sara expressed a cautious optimism for South
Haney.

"It's getting better, but I don't have my door open as much as I used
to."

Sara said she's also planning a potluck dinner, scheduled for 7 p.m.
at the Ridge Meadows Association for Community Living.