Reflecting on Boyle Rural Crime Watch’s decision to fold by next spring, president Terry Jordan stated that perhaps the time for rural crime watch has passed.
The formal club may have had its day in the sun, but recent events have shown the need for community watchfulness is greater than ever.
Community buildings were broken into again last week, with Flips Gymnastics and the Athabasca & District Agricultural Society left to replace doors on their buildings and rethink security on the ag society grounds.
Tightened security and surveillance systems have their part to play in fighting these sorts of intrusions, but so do we. With communication at our fingertips, there’s less reliance on specialized groups to spread the word when things go awry and help is needed. We can act more quickly than ever before. Most of us can send out a text or Facebook message to friends who live in an area where a crime’s been committed and ask them to comb their memories for anything they may have seen. At a minimum, we can send out general calls for help to our network when these crimes happen.
Whatever form it takes, vigilance will never be moot, particularly in small communities.
