We recently participated in a meeting for community association representatives hosted by the District 3 Calgary Police team. It was an informative update from police representatives and a good opportunity for communities to have their concerns heard.
Key highlights from the discussion:
• Ensure you lock your vehicles, garages and homes on a consistent basis. Many of these crimes are preventable and criminals look for an easy way in. A sizable percentage of crimes are successful due to citizens not locking up.
• Continue to report all criminal activity no matter how minor in might seem. Police patrols are targeted based on data, so the more information reported the better. It also allows the police to monitor trends and address areas with repeated issues.
• Report all unusual activities promptly and avoid the “it’s probably nothing” mindset.
• Damage to property, lost property, theft, car prowlings, attempted stolen vehicle, theft of credit/debit cards used in fraud, and break & enter into unlocked premise other than residential can all be done online – https://www.calgary.ca/cps/report-a-crime.html
• Encampments continue to be a concerning issue across the entire city. The city and police now have dedicated groups to address, all encampments should be reported to 311. Due to volumes the team does have a lot of deal with but if you do not see activity within a couple of weeks, please call 311 again.
• Security cameras deter crime and aid in investigations. Cameras can be registered with the police’s surveillance programs which can help create a community surveillance network.
TGCA has a dedicated email address for residents to highlight areas of concerns such as problem properties with ongoing criminal activities or traffic safety issues. Please forward to communitysafety@tgcacalgary.com and we will pass on to our police representatives.
A new community safety dashboard has been created by the Police Service and can be accessed here https://www.calgary.ca/cps/statistics/calgary-police-statistical-reports.html. It is quite extensive and provides crime statistics for all neighborhoods in Calgary.
We have had some inquires about a neighborhood watch type of program and several other communities are considering doing the same. If you have an interest and would like to volunteer to be part of establishing one, please reach out to us at the above community safety email.
Overall, Thorncliffe-Greenview is viewed as a highly engaged community that takes an active interest in looking out for their neighbours and community. Let us continue to be diligent in staying involved and focused on staying safe.
-TGCA Board of Directors