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Crime prevention centre celebrates five years

Working towards a safer community

Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre will celebrate with five candles on its cake on Tuesday at its open house from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Executive director TerryLee Ropchan said five years ago Red Deer Neighbourhood Watch, Central Alberta Crime Stoppers, and Citizens on Patrol in Red Deer came together to turn an idea into reality.

“With that reality citizens and residents and businesses actually have a place to go now if they’ve experienced something in their neighbourhood, if there’s something that’s happened to them, like some sort of property crime. We now have resources available to them,” Ropchan said on Monday.

She said residents have people they can talk to about what happened and how to prevent it from happening again.

MADD Red Deer & District Chapter has also joined the centre.

Ropchan said the centre has made its biggest impact working with residents by visiting neighbourhoods and promoting conversations, encouraging people to know their neighbours, own their neighbourhoods, and problem solve.

“I honestly believe the more connected we are to our neighbours and to our neighbourhood we can decrease crime. Does crime increase with more people? Typically that’s what statistics would tell us. Does that mean that has to happen here? No, I don’t think so. I think the more connected we are, the more involved we are, the more we know our neighbours, that piece helps us not only feel safe but be safe.”

The centre took part in 19 neighbourhood barbecues over the years and this summer the centre is helping neighbourhoods working on local projects.

“Now it’s time to get busy. This year we’re going in and doing projects with different neighbourhoods. They might need some manpower. They might need some organization. They might need some help finding funding to help get their project off the ground.”

Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre is located at 3-5015 48th St. For more information visit www.cacpc.ca.

szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com