SNA organizing community safety audits

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This article was published 08/11/2019 (2337 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On a cold November afternoon, Sappfyre Mcleod walks around the West End with a clipboard, flanked by four other members of the Spence Neighborhood Association community audit group.

As she walks down an alleyway behind the Sorrento’s on Ellice Avenue, she notices a smashed window on the ground. She grabs a pair of tongs and starts putting the broken shards in a bucket.

The other members start doing the same.

“I just know the kids come through here after school, and I don’t want them to get hurt,” Mcleod said.

The Spence Neighborhood Association (SNA) has restarted its safety patrols.

The SNA is holding community safety audits for the month of November. Formerly known as walkabouts, the safety audits aim to clean up the West End and inspire its residents to take care of their neighborhood.

Mcleod, a community connecting co-ordinator with the SNA, said it’s a way for community members to take ownership of their area.

“One of the natural benefits of the walks is the renewed sense of ownership in community members. People like to feel good about the place they call home,” Mcleod said. “We want to be able to take pride in where we live, and to watch out for each other.”

The safety audits are part information gathering, part safety patrol. As the group walks around, they note any yard waste, flammable materials, dark alleyways, and anything else that would make the area dangerous. They also pick up and dispose of needles, broken glass, used condoms, and watch for any suspicious individuals.

Each patrol, the group picks a different section of the West End to walk around. The name was changed from walkabouts in 2019, as the term “walkabout” is sometimes used to describe a rite of passage in Indigenous Australian rituals.

As Mcleod was walking around, a few West End residents came up to them, informing them of needles or other hazardous materials. A few residents even congratulated them for their efforts.

Mcleod said there’s a common misconception that West End residents don’t care about their neighborhood.

“It feels really good to see the community engage with us. Everyone here cares, when (residents) see people physically display those acts of caring, it resonates,” Mcleod said. “We all care about this neighborhood. The whole point is to rally together in a way that makes a tangible positive change. It’s not just empty promises, we’re here because we care.”

The Community Safety Audits are happening from Oct. 31 to Nov. 25. The walks occur on Monday from 10 a.m. till 12 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 till 3 p.m., and Sundays from 5 till 7 p.m.

For more information, or to volunteer, contact Mcleod at sappfyre@spenceneighborhood.org or call 204-783-5000, ext. 106.