A victim of a recent break-and-enter is calling on the Chatham-Kent community to do more to help prevent crime in local neighbourhoods.
Jordan Kniaziew said his Wallaceburg business was the target of a break-and-enter in mid-December, leaving him feeling frustrated and somewhat helpless about what to do. He said the business’s surveillance cameras had also been stolen weeks prior.
“When you show up to [your] building and see the entrance has been smashed in with a hammer, you feel a whole bevy of emotions, from fear to anger to a ‘how could this happen’ mentality,” said Kniaziew
Kniaziew said his frustration over the incident led him to reach out to fellow community members and he quickly discovered that many had also experienced similar instances of petty crime. He also began meeting with elected officials to see if more could be done.
“There was definitely a sense of, ‘we need to get this figured out,'” said Kniaziew. “Everyone wants to find a solution. So when you start to talk to different community leaders from councillors to the mayor, to different levels of government… everyone recognizes that we can do more.”
Kniaziew said he is urging his fellow residents in Wallaceburg and those in the other communities across Chatham-Kent to take some form of action to help make the municipality a safer place.
He has made several suggestions, such as enhancing neighbourhood watch programs, improving video surveillance and lighting in high-risk areas, and fostering community engagement between community members with regular community meetings, town halls, and workshops.
“There are small steps each individual, business or home can do to really help to make our community safer,” he said. “Video surveillance within the downtown core in different communities with great signage, and great lightning really helps to deter future acts of senseless crime… and I think there definitely needs to be more of a focus on that.”
Kniaziew also suggested that local businesses and residents should also foster additional partnerships with law enforcement to promote trust, communication, and collaboration.
“The responsibility isn’t just on the Chatham-Kent police force, it is a community effort that we have to do,” he said. “What I learned from this process is that there is so much more the community can do and there is so much more responsibility. Every individual within the community can take it upon themselves to hopefully make Chatham-Kent one of the safest communities in Ontario.”
