Red Deer 1913 — 2013 Create Celebrate Commemorate
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RED DEER
ADVOCATE WEEKEND EDITION BREAKING NEWS ONLINE AT WWW.REDDEERADVOCATE.COM
SATURDAY, FEB. 2, 2013
Hiking
WORM’S HEAD
AUPE AND SYMPHONY SENIOR LIVING COME TO AGREEMENT TO END STRIKE — PAGE C2
CRIME FIGHTERS Residents and police working to make Red Deer safe — one neighbourhood at a time
Photo by RANDY FIEDLER/Advocate staff
RCMP officers investigate after a man believed wanted on a Canada-wide warrant smashed two police cruisers trying to escape the at the Tervita metal recycling yard Friday morning. Please see story on Page A2. BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Major drug busts on quiet streets in Sunnybrook. A targeted murder inside a parked vehicle at the entrance of an Inglewood close. A rash of vehicle break-ins along residential streets in the downtown. And the list goes on. No community in Red Deer is immune from crime. But what can make a difference is the way residents respond to the criminal behaviour happening in their neighbourhood. TerryLee Ropchan, executive director of the Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre, says Red Deer is a safe community and deals with issues that can be found in every city or town in Canada. Ropchan said the centre wants to empower residents to create the communities they want to live in instead of moving away because there’s crime in the neighbourhood. “Residents are key to safe communities,” said Ropchan. “And without them you can hire all the officers you want and you can put out all the programs
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‘Residents are key to safe communities.’ out there, but if people aren’t getting to know their neighbours and reporting things that are happening . . . then you can’t have safe neighbourhoods,” said Ropchan. “It makes your neighbourhoods disconnected. That opens the door to criminals because they look for neighbourhoods where people don’t care.” That means participating in community activities, saying “good morning” to neighbours or picking up litter on the street. The Central Alberta Crime Prevention Centre houses volunteer-based Red Deer Neighbourhood Watch Association, Citizens on Patrol and Crime Stoppers. At the centre, residents can find information on curbing or reporting crime. Red Deer City RCMP Supt. Warren Dosko said these groups represent a key piece of prevention ac-
WEATHER
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60% Flurries. High 1. Low -6.
Five sections Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C7,C8 Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E1-E6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . .C6,D7,D8 Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . C4,C5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B4-B8
FORECAST ON A2
SPORTS
POVERTY REPORT ‘GROUNDBREAKING’
HURRICANES DOWN REBELS
A report outlining how to better address child poverty, housing and domestic violence is a step in the right directions, says the co-chair of the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance.
Down 2-1 in the thirds, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored a short-handed goal, followed by the winner six minutes later to beat the Red Deer Rebels 3-2. B4
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tivities in the community. “Crime prevention is a long-term strategy,” said Dosko, who is charge of the city detachment. “I think if we go into it with that mentality, we are not disappointed when we see little bumps in the road . . . that long-term commitment is essential. That’s a tough sell for some people when you don’t see those results.” Dosko said there needs to be more focus on building healthy communities, which in turn will prevent crime. “A big chunk of my energy is spent trying to convince people that it’s not about crime, it’s about healthy communities,” said Dosko.
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