It’s never too late to get to know your neighbours, and the Chilliwack Crime Prevention Society is eager to help get neighbourhoods connected.
They are urging people to learn more about the Chilliwack Block Watch program, and have selected two people to champion the program moving forward. Kathy Funk will act as the coordinator and Debbie Biggin with be the office administrator for the program.
Block Watch programs have a long history of keeping neighbourhoods safer, and the more streets involved, the better.
“One strategy for keeping our community safe is through the Chilliwack Block Watch program,” says Chilliwack Crime Prevention Society president Greg Knill. “One practical suggestion is to put a concerted effort towards increasing the number of streets that adopt the Block Watch program.”
With Funk and Biggin promoting Block Watch locally, it’s hoped more people will be eager to sign on for a safer community.
“Both of these individuals come with not only a passion for a safer community but also many years of experience in both administration and coordination,” says Michelle Wulff, office manager for the Chilliwack Crime Prevention Society. And they are getting started with their work right away.
“We encourage those interested to attend a training/educational session on Jan. 16 at the Chilliwack Library from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.,” says Funk. “The purpose is to train members and educate the public on how to be involved.”
The society says they would also like to thank Jen Dueck for her eight years of dedication to the program and wishes her much success in her new role with Corrections Canada.
Block Watch is a program of “neighbour helping neighbour” and is a free community-based crime prevention program administered by the Chilliwack Crime Prevention Society. Residents on a street or in a complex form a communication chain. They make a commitment to watch out for each others’ properties and report suspicious activities to each other and the local police.
For more information about the program and to register for training, contact chilliwackblockwatch@shaw.ca.