Safer Neighbourhoods movement to be held at Victoria Park Armoury on community safety

Kawartha Lakes Police Service works with community group to hold event

Sandy Creighton wasn’t the only one worried about the state of her neighbourhood in the Old Mill district of Lindsay.

Once she started talking with her neighbours, she realized they were all having the same issues.  

“We no longer feel safe in our neighbourhood,” she tells the Advocate, because of crime and illegal drug activity.

The issue of income properties and so-called flop houses — rooming houses with absentee or uncaring landlords — needs to be addressed by the town, she says.

These, along with transitional housing buildings like 68 Lindsay St. No, “have saturated our beautiful historical district with wandering, often staggering, often belligerent strangers,” says Creighton.

“They are in our driveways, yards and outbuildings every night and often in broad daylight.”

“And if we don’t voice our concerns,” Creighton says, “nothing changes.”

Fortunately, she believes Kawartha Lakes Police Service was listening.

The Kawartha Lakes Police Service will host a public information session on Oct. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at the Victoria Park Armoury in Lindsay to discuss these and related concerns, challenges that have been brought to their attention by Creighton and other members of the community.

“We are inviting the community at large to attend, as we are aware the identified concerns around crime, public disorder and neighbourhood safety are not isolated to one neighbourhood,” says a police press release. “These issues are important to our entire community.”

The (Kawartha Lakes) Police have been instrumental in bringing this town hall meeting together, says Creighton, so the community can voice its concerns.

“This would not have happened without their support.”

The goal of Safer Neighbourhoods Kawartha Lakes is to have a “positive and productive conversation with the community while working to develop feasible solutions to community concerns,” says the police press release.

Presenters will explain the programs, procedures and protocols that guide local services in their response to community concerns. Elected officials will be present, as well as police and professionals in the fields of housing, addictions and mental health.

Set up as a panel discussion, it will be followed by a question-and-answer session. If interested in attending, R.S.V.P to by Oct. 10. Register as soon as possible, participant capacity is limited to 250.

If you are unable to attended and have questions you’d like answered, they can be submitted in advance to . The local police service is aiming to make this session available via a live stream platform. Follow their social media accounts for more information as the event date approaches.

As per COVID regulations, those in attendance will be required to provide proof of vaccination and wear a mask.