'It's frightening': rural Manitoba residents take action to curb crime
Residents in a rural Manitoba community seeing a spike in crime fear RCMP resources are spread too thin to deal with the problem by themselves – so they are taking matters into their own hands.
Around 130 people packed into the community hall in Vita, Man. on Wednesday night to launch a Citizens on Patrol group. It comes as many residents have grown tired of dealing with what they say are rising cases of theft and break-ins in the area.
"It's frightening," said Alice Rondeau, who has lived in the area for the past 22 years. "The crime rate here is getting to be quite bad, especially in the last couple of weeks. You know, people smashing windows for our businesses, trying to get drugs."
It's a problem Lothar Dueck, who runs the pharmacy in Vita, has experienced first-hand. His store has been broken into several times in the past few years.
"We're always concerned about the safety of everybody – ourselves, our staff, our customers and the community," Dueck said.
He's installed more security around the store and put bars on the windows in an effort to stop the break-ins.
"What can you do? You know, you just have to clean up and go forward and hope you can make the place more secure and safer for everybody."
'There's not enough RCMP officers': Residents fear resources are spread too thin
It's a problem that's been impacting the wider community.
"Crime, unfortunately, is going up and we want to have a way to be able to curb that and to start taking control of our community," said Michelle Gawronsky, the reeve in the Rural Municipality of Stuartburn.
"There's not enough RCMP officers in our province, in our community. We all know that. So we need to do what we have to do to be able to protect our communities."
Speaking at the meeting Wednesday night, Manitoba RCMP Sgt. Stacy Weins said nine officers are based in the Emerson – Morris detachment, which is a 45-minute drive from the community. He said that means officers have to prioritize calls.
"Depending on what those members are doing at the time, that is going to depend on their response time," Weins told residents. "We have a very, very large area."
Sgt. Paul Manaigre, a media relations officer for the Manitoba RCMP, said compliments of members are determined based on call volumes. He said at least three members are on shift at any given time.
"There's considerable distances involved, but like I say, we do have the resources in place and officers will respond."
However, Manitoba's Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said more resources are needed right across the province.
"I will continue to carry that message to Ottawa, to my federal counterparts, that Manitoba needs its fair share of officers and we need them now."
But until that happens, residents in Stuartburn are taking action.
Citizens on Patrol group has curbed 'shenanigans,' neighbouring community says
The community is launching the Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) – a provincially funded program that trains and equips community residents to patrol their area. They can then document and report any suspicious activities to the local law enforcement.
"This is just an extra boost, an extra set of eyes and ears for our law enforcement and the communities," said Detlef Hindemith, the program administrator for Manitoba COPP.
He said about 40 communities in the province currently are running a Citizens on Patrol group.
Hindemith said patrollers are equipped with high-visibility vests and signage. He said this sends a message to criminals that they are being watched.
"Criminals don't like to be seen, and so when our members are out there being visible… it acts as a deterrent to the criminal activity."
The neighbouring community of Grunthal started a COPP group in December. Residents in that area said they have already noticed a difference.
"There's been a remarkably large decrease in shenanigans," a volunteer for the Grunthal patrol told residents Wednesday.
How Citizens on Patrol help RCMP officers in rural Manitoba
Manaigre said according to RCMP statistics, there has actually been a decrease in crime from 2022 to 2023 in the RM of Stuartburn. When asked why residents feel there has been an increase, Manaigre said there is always a concern that not everything is being reported.
"Perhaps we're not hearing everything," he said. "The important part is having everyone reporting everything to the police so that we can keep accurate statistics and we can investigate those crimes."
That's where the Citizens on Patrol group would help.
Manaigre said the program is 'extremely positive' for the RCMP.
"It's extra eyes and ears, and that's exactly what the police need," he said. "For policing a community, you can't just rely on the officers to solve all the problems. We have to work with the public, because we need that information."
This is actually the third time the RM of Stuartburn is launching a Citizens on Patrol program. Gawronsky said it has been a success in the past, and residents are hoping it will work again.
"There are so many good people in the community, and it's a shame that we have to deal with some people who cause problems," Dueck said. "It'll make our community much safer and a welcoming place for people."
Nearly two dozen residents in the RM of Stuartburn have applied for the program, with patrols expected to begin in the community this spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
For moms-to-be, it's possible to take maternity leave without breaking the bank
Pregnancy is often an exciting and anxious time for parents-to-be. And while painting the nursery and choosing a stroller are typically on the agenda, experts say preparing financially for a maternity leave can help reduce stress later on as well.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Six guests are set to ascend aboard Spaceship Neptune to the stratosphere, where they will enjoy an immersive dining experience served up by Danish Michelin-starred chef Rasmus Munk.