The community association has been contacted to discuss establishing or re-establishing neighbourhood watches as part of the city of Ottawa’s Neighbourhood Watch program. As a board, we are looking into it, but wondering if this is a solution in search of a problem. We took a look at the crime rates in our community to see how it compares to other areas, explore other options to increase the safety of our community and get feedback on how we should proceed.
If we look at crime statistics, our community is safer than the Ottawa average by a significant margin. Ottawa is also rated as one of the safest cities in Canada, and Canada is one of the safest countries in the world. Looking at crime statistics, it is hard to make the case that the status quo is not working. However, crime in Ottawa is increasing and fewer crimes lead to charges. Actual safety is also only part of the equation, perception of safety is important. When we evaluate whether or not to implement a safety program, it will be important to determine whether people feel safe in the community and whether the program would impact safety.
| Geography | Total crimes against the person (per 1000, plus 50m buffer) | Total crimes against property (per 1000, plus 50m buffer) | Total Criminal Code offences (per 1000, plus 50m buffer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Convent Glen Orléans Wood | 5.0 | 18.8 | 25.1 |
| Centretown | 25.1 | 85.9 | 214.3 |
| Ottawa | 7.5 | 28.6 | 42.2 |
Beyond Neighbourhood Watch, there are other programs that could impact the perceived safety of our community. The Block Parent program (familiar to kids of the 80s and 90s) is still active and something that we could pursue as a community. Compared to other communities, we have a higher percentage of our population over 65 at 24.2%. We also have an increasing population of children at 15.49%. My house has had 2 instances of a senior randomly ringing our doorbell asking for assistance (maybe solar panels and kid toys are disarming), which we happily provided. After reading Anxious Generation, getting parents to be more comfortable with kids roaming the neighbourhood has become very important to me. Having people ready and willing to help seniors, kids, and any other vulnerable populations in the community could also address a perceived lack of safety.
Another aspect of safety that needs to be considered with climate change is the higher rate of natural disasters. During the Derecho in 2022, a lot of my neighbours benefited from having a trained arborist on our street to help clear some fallen trees. The power outage that resulted could have been an issue for some people who need electricity for health devices, and may have cut off support for some people who are housebound. It occurred to me that there is an opportunity to link vulnerable people needing support with people willing and able to provide that support. This would be most important in case of an emergency.
The Community Association is currently working on a new survey to help guide our activities for the coming years. Please respond to help us decide if and how the community association could contribute to the feeling of safety of our community.
