CK Police Chief Gary Conn speaking at an information session at the Chatham Business Centre. November 12, 2016. (Photo by Natalia Vega)CK Police Chief Gary Conn speaking at an information session at the Chatham Business Centre. November 12, 2016. (Photo by Natalia Vega)
Chatham

Informing Locals On Crime, Safety Concerns

The Chatham-Kent Crime Prevention Board have packed as much information as possible into a four hour information session.

In light of Crime Prevention Week, a public meeting had been held Saturday at the Business Centre in Chatham to discuss various topics.

President of the Crime Prevention and Safety Board Brian French says hosting information sessions is a way to highlight community services.

One of the services highlighted in the session had been the Chatham-Kent Police Service. Police Chief Gary Conn spoke with locals about common crimes in the community and preventative steps that can be taken.

“Reducing crime in Chatham-Kent is everyone’s responsibility,” says French. “Recognizing that something doesn’t look right is often the first step to getting a crime reported and then investigated.”

French says being aware of any abnormalities in the area is the core of the Prevention Board’s program “Know you Neighbour”.

“If something doesn’t seem quite right, call the police, make a report and hopefully there won’t be anything criminal going on, but if there is you’ve made that first step,” says French.

After the first presentation a group of youth advisors were slated to speak about mental illness among youth.

Clinical Coordinator with Access Open Minds Chatham-Kent Rebecca Prince says raising awareness on mental health and early intervention is key to their program.

“We’re hoping that more people will become more aware of any mental illnesses and intervene and provide support [to youth],” says Prince.

She says being aware of mental health issues coincides with crime prevention week in the sense that it promotes the idea of being more vigilant within the community.

“It takes a community to raise a child,” says Prince.

Read More Local Stories