Residents to start patrolling Regina's Al Ritchie neighbourhood
A group of volunteers will begin patrolling the streets of the Al Ritchie neighbourhood in Regina on weekends starting Friday.
Jen Moffat, organizer and executive director of the Al Ritchie Community Association, hopes the initiative will expand beyond just weekends as more volunteers sign up to be the neighbourhood's eyes and ears.
The idea grew out of concerns that vandalism and property crime was increasing in the area, located between Victoria Avenue, Winnipeg Street and Broadway Avenue, Moffat said.
"We just wanted to get our presence back out there again and make it known that the community is going to band together," she said.
Starting last summer, Moffat said, residents began to notice young people in the neighbourhood at odd hours of the night and early into the morning. At the same time, they reported more graffiti tags, back-lane garage fires, vehicle break-ins and thefts, and even some assaults.
"We haven't seen that in a while in this neighbourhood," she said.
After a successful trial run last week, a group of about eight volunteers will set out on Friday at 7 p.m. CST from the community association's centre on Lindsay Street.
Moffat said the group will report anything suspicious to police, pick up any potentially dangerous items, such as needles, and simply be there to talk with neighbours.
Volunteers will also be trained to administer naxolone, the drug used to save drug overdose victims, she said.
White Pony Lodge — a citizen-led group that walks the North Central neighbourhood every weekend — was one of the inspirations for the new group.
"We really just wish them the best of luck," said Shawna Oochoo, White Pony's co-founder and president.
"It's going to be exciting to work with another group."
More volunteers needed
Moffat said they hope to recruit more volunteers so they can cover more of the area and on more days of the week. Starting this fall, the Heritage Community Association will be joining their efforts.
She said local businesses helped pay for some the required supplies, such as safety vests, gloves and needle containers, but more walkie-talkies are needed if more volunteers sign up and crews are formed.
"I think when you bring community together what happens is people start to respect the neighbourhood they live in and they start to take care of it," Moffat said.
"The fact that it's just volunteers who live in the community, I think it's a very powerful message that we're just here to help each other."
