Chelsey St. Pierre – The Suburban LJI Reporter
A revamped neighbourhood watch program launched in the Laserres sector of Dollard-des-Ormeaux in 2013 has yielded positive results.
The program encourages community involvement and has the added benefit of strengthening the relationship between city officials and residents as well as residents with residents.
“Crime comes in pits and valleys. With eyes and boots on the ground, surges in certain areas tend to get cleared up very fast,” Bottausci told The Suburban “We are very quick to meet with neighbours and local patrol street captains in the event of crime escalation in the area.”
“Every once in a while you get a rash.” In 2013, Vesely set up the first watch program The program worked beautifully to the point where it only took a couple of days to clear the area of the ongoing break-ins.
The most recent set up took place in Westpark 2 years ago with vehicles being ransacked in residents’ parking lots.
Since that time, a major decline in that type of crime has been observed in the area.
Though general neighbourhood watch prevention programs have been prevalent in the West Island since the 70’s, Vesely’s structured programing using new-age technology has been cunsulted and adopted by other city officials and residents throughout the West Island municipalities.
According to an SPVM statistics report release in June 2023, there were 411 breaking and entering cases were reported in the West Island in 2022, compared to 506 in 2019.
The program relies mainly on two street captains hand picked by a city councilor throughout the door-to door recruitment process where the goal is to gain one-hundred participating homes per sector. “One-hundred homes means up to two-hundred sets of eyes,” Vesely explained. The team captains are made known to public security as they may be calling frequently representing an entire neighbourhood. The captains act as buffer, communicating minor issues to municipal patrol and major issues to police and municipal patrol. The watch group participants communicate amongst themselves and with the team captains with whatever form of technology they agree to use.
As part of the program, sign are erected around the neighbourhood to let residents and visitors know that the crime-watch is taking place during that period. Notes are sent out to homes in the sector and residents are advised to keep their outdoor lights on and memorize the address of the house(s) located behind their own.
According to Bottausci, break-ins reported in DDO hover around fifty per year over the last few years, representing less than 10% of break-ins reported in the West Island.
“Statistically year over year in total amounts happening on territory remains the same.”
Though the set up is a lengthy door to door process recruiting neighbours to participate, it pays off when a “rash” occurs. “With the program in place, I can have an entire area led by a team captain up and running in five minutes.” n