OTTAWA — Assaults in the Bay ward are on the decline, and one reason may be a local crime prevention initiative.
An analysis of Ottawa Police statistics shows there were 140 assaults reported in 2012, down from 207 five years ago. The overall crime rate against persons has dropped to 53 per 10,000 people, compared to 80 in 2008.
“We’re thrilled with how it played out,” says Nancy Worsfold, executive director of Crime Prevention Ottawa. The arms-length organization has been funding the United Neighbours project since it launched in 2007. The initiative is a community-based project which brings together institutions and community members to help resolve crime at the ground level.
United Neighbours was put into place when communities in the area were at a crossroads: a mix of long-time residents and new immigrants meant a cultural and social divide that needed solutions to solve crime issues. The Somali Fathers Association, Brittania Church and the local boys and girls club were among the groups to participate in the plan.
In 2007 the Pinecrest-Queensway area, which is contained within the Bay ward, was identified by United Neighbours as a problematic region. Resources were then allocated towards improving relationships between local institutions and the community. The results look positive.
Between 2006 and 2011, the crime rate against people and property dropped 27 per cent in the Pinecrest-Queensway catchment area, according to a CPO report. That number is based on Ottawa Police statistics adjusted to the boundaries of the catchment area.
While the Bay ward’s assault reports per capita might not reach the levels of other wards, its steady decline is noteworthy and may point to the benefits of local crime prevention programs. No idea is perfect and crime is far from a bygone issue in the ward, Worsfold cautions.
“From a police perspective I can see there is a lot of improvement in the area,” says Admir Minarolli, a community police officer in Bayshore.
Minarolli acts as a liaison between the community and police. He’s regularly involved in programming and helps put a face to the often faceless law enforcement. “What I tell people is if they want to talk to me, they can,” he says.
Minarolli says part of the police strategy is to encourage people to report crimes. He thinks that more people are reporting petty crimes like thefts as a result, which may point to the reason for a slight increase in property crime.
“We still encourage people to report so we can address not just the statistics but also allocate resources,” Minarolli says.
United Neighbours has brought together different interest groups, and held regular coffeehouses to discuss issues of concern to community members.
“It’s restored a sense of pride” in the community, Minarolli says.
There are 16 neighbourhood watch programs in the Bay ward, Minarolli says, but there can always be more. It’s this community-engagement approach that has gained a lot of traction in many enforcement and academic circles over the past few years.
“People come in and say, ‘Oh Bayshore, they say a few years ago it wasn’t good,’” Minarolli says. That perception has begun to change, say Minarolli and Worsfold. Community-driven programs have helped drive the change, and the statistics are their proof.