August 16, 2011
Neighbour Watch might be best way to emulate the Cyrs
As someone who reads press releases from the police several times a week, I can tell you that it’s true — the North Shore really does get more than its fair share of crime. To get an idea of what it looks like, have a look at the crime map. Seeing is believing.
So when I spoke to the Cyr brothers on Monday about their go-round with a thief at their home on Vernon Avenue, I could sense that these guys felt they were doing more than just protecting their property. They were striking a blow for their side of the river.
Not that they have any illusions. Jordan and Cody are plain-spoken men with a view of life that’s hard not to agree with. They worked hard for their stuff and no one is going to take it away from them. They caught a thief taking power saws from their garage in the middle of the night, struggled with him, and held him long enough for police to make an arrest.
The big question is whether their actions will be an inspiration to others. Scrapping with drug addicts is not the safest thing to do, but Neighbour Watch programs can also be empowering. Police in many communities will help you them up, although I’m not aware of any in Kamloops.
The Crime Stoppers website for Kamloops makes mention of Neighbourhood Watch, but details have not been posted. The Kamloops RCMP website offers it as a service, but again there are no details.
If anyone knows of any successful programs of this kind in Kamloops, please let me know.