Community groups popping up to try and reduce crime in Winnipeg

As crime rates grow in Winnipeg, so does the response from community members – creating community groups, to create change at the ground level.

Darrell Warren is the President of the William White Neighbourhood Association. He’s also now the Coordinator of William White Powerline – a phone line that allows for anonymous reporting of crimes.

The Powerline takes the information, and relays it to the best source, whether that’s police, social services, or the WPS Community Support Unit.

“Your best eyes are the neighbours seeing what’s going on in the neighbourhood, and they know what’s going on in the street,” explained Warren.

“There are a lot of good people left here, and they live here and they don’t want to go somewhere else – so that’s what I’m fighting for, to make it better again so people won’t be leaving in droves.”

Sel Burrows started the first Powerline in North Point Douglas. He has received awards from the police for the work they’ve been able to accomplish.

He says there used to be 30 known drug dealers in his area, but thanks to the Point Powerline – 27 have been stopped.

“If we’re going to have a safer community – the police and social workers can’t do it all. We need people saying hey there is a drug dealer on my street, hey there are out-of-control parties where they’re getting underage girls drunk. So we need more powerlines – more people setting up crime prevention organizations in their area,” explained Burrows.

“The Police tell us it’s made a massive change. People who have moved into the community from other high-crime areas tell us ‘hey, my daughter can walk to the store here safely.'”

MLA for Notre Dame Malaya Marcelino is the coordinator for Notre Dame Powerline. She says while William White’s main issue has been Arson, and Point Douglas has been drug dealers and sex crimes, her neighbourhood often deals with calls for property crime.

“Most of our calls are about illegal dumping of garbage, and property crime – and other things folks just want to call in concerns about,” said Marcelino.

She’s been pinpointing high-trouble areas thanks to the frequency of calls they receive and has been able to involve police and social workers to create change.

“We feel that together we can improve the situation, not just be helpless about it – but try and take back our communities.”

The Powerline members hope more communities join in on the movement.