CRIME PREVENTION IS EVERYONE'S JOB

Being involved in the process key to making city a safer place

Several weeks ago, there was a series of meetings about crime in
Grande Prairie that sought input from residents on suggestions about
what could be done about the incidence, if not the increasing
severity, of criminal acts.

There was some dismay when the meetings, while yielding some people's
personal experiences of how they were affected and fears for their
personal safety, didn't attract as many citizens as was
anticipated.

Nevertheless, it was a good start. For one thing, city RCMP are
preparing to implement a zone style of patrolling, where officers
would be assigned to specific neighbourhoods of Grande Prairie.

It's the tried-and-true cop-on-the-beat philosophy, where Mounties
would be more familiar with their area of responsibility and residents
or businesses within that area would come to know who "their" lawmen
and lawwomen were.

The theme song could well be "Getting to know you, getting to know all
about you."

Part of the concept could include satellite police stations, say one
in the south and one in the north -- sort of like the fire halls --
rather than having everything centred in the downtown RCMP
headquarters (soon to be relocated to a site south of the
courthouse).

The sessions in April came up with three root causes of crime --
substance abuse (the focus is on drug-driven crime, which is expanding
in Grande Prairie, according to police), a lack of community
connectedness (people are becoming increasingly impersonal as the city
population grows), and a breakdown of the family unit.

The Mounties are well aware of the drugs and alcohol factor and have
been nailing suspects right, left and centre of late, judging by news
reports in the Herald-Tribune. People themselves have expressed
concerns that Grande Prairie is getting too "big"; that no one knows
anyone anymore, and there's less of a know thy neighbour factor.

Family breakdowns are a broader societal issue, solutions to which may
continue to evade the multiple agencies involved.

Next week, these three concerns are going to be expanded on at a
day-long crime prevention strategy meeting, scheduled Tuesday at the
Quality Inn. It is billed as a brainstorming session on each of the
issues and is being co-ordinated by the RCMP and Family and Community
Support Services.

Information on the meeting can be got from Cpl. Brent Mundle or FCSS
manager Donelda Laing. Check the advertisement on page four of
Wednesday's newspaper for details.

There's no charge. It's wide open to anyone. And if Grande Prairians
really want to make their community a safer as well as a greater place
to be, it's the best chance to have a say-so.