NORTH SHORE SEEKS SOLUTIONS

Increased lighting, forming a block watch and cleaning up streets and
property were just a few of the solutions North Shore residents came
up with to help fight crime in their neighbourhoods.

Two hundred and forty people crowded into the Our Lady of Perpetual
Help Parish Centre on Tranquille Road to attend the second in a series
of meetings discussing the ongoing problem of drugs, crime and
prostitution in North Kamloops.

Once the meeting got underway, everyone split into nine groups of
about 20 people each to brainstorm solutions to problems discussed at
a previous community meeting on July 21.

The main topics were safety, vandalism, prostitution and drug
use.

Teresa Worthington told her group a story about an elderly
neighbour.

"She lives just behind me. She's lives alone. Her yard has no fence or
anything," she said.

"One night she woke up at 3 a.m. and this man was standing over her,
watching her. She said it was terrifying."

That story sparked an inspired discussion about what homeowners can do
to better protect themselves and their neighbours.

Some of the ideas given to facilitator Gayle Carriere, a public health
nurse with Interior Health, included increasing visibility on dimly
lit street corners, travelling in groups at night and turning on
outside lights, even when at home.

"So many people turn out their outside lights at night," said Chris,
who did not want to give her last name. "That makes your house and
yard a target."

Dave Koch said people need to identify neighbours who could be
potential victims and show them what they can do to protect themselves.

"I live across the street from a drug house. I've been broken into
I put bars on my basement windows and have spent a ton of money on an
electronic security system," he said.

Rudy Trottier and his neighbours formed a block watch in July to deal
with addicts and johns.

At first, residents had to call the police more than five times a day.
Now, they only need to make one.

"When (junkies and johns) see neighbours watching out for each other
they leave," he said.

"When they know there are two to three guys who go out and deal with a
junkie, they move."

Ray Jolicoeur, chairman of the Kamloops Social Planning Committee,
said all the suggestions will be put down on paper so that organizers
can review them.

"Everything will be right in front of our faces and with any luck we
can have solutions in place for the neighbourhoods to work with by our
next meeting," he said.

A third meeting is scheduled for Sept. 29 at the parish centre.