The latest meeting of the Neighbourhood Watch Program took place Wednesday evening at the Pembroke Fire Hall and was attended by approximately 30 citizens, as well as the principal organizers and members of the OPP.
Co-Chairs of the program, Deputy Mayor Brian Abdallah and Pembroke Mayor Ron Gervais, delivered opening remarks, with Gervais sharing some statistics from law enforcement that appear to indicate a trend in the right direction:
A number of “Block Captains” reported that there seemed to be fewer incidents over the winter months than usual, which appeared to agree with Gervais’ findings. However, others expressed serious concerns with activities such as public urination, discarded syringes, and garbage bags that have been ripped open, searched, and left strewn on lawns and sidewalks.
Gervais went on to say that there also appeared to be a downward trend in narcotics-related arrests, which he said pointed, in large part, to the overall success of the Watch Program.
Steve Halpenny, one of the long-standing principal organizers of the program, pointed out that while successes have been seen, there is still much to be done and urged anyone who is interested in joining the program to come forward.
One of the questions Halpenny had for OPP Operations Staff Sergeant Chris Miller, who was in attendance, was when an influx of new officers could be expected in the area. Late last year, Mayor Gervais announced that four new officers would be attached to the UOV OPP division in 2026. Miller stated that he was aware of the additional supports but was not certain as to when they would be deployed to the area, though he assured the group that the additional officers would be installed as promised.
One of the biggest new concerns brought up at the meeting was the drastic increase in auto thefts in the Upper Ottawa Valley area, with nine such thefts occurring in the last seven weeks alone. OPP Community Engagement Officer Shawn Peever spoke to the issue, saying that OPP is working diligently to address the spike in incidents and encouraged everyone to take as many preventative steps against theft as possible while investigations continue.
The next public meeting is tentatively scheduled for sometime in October. Anyone who is interested in joining the program is encouraged to click the link below:
https://www.pembroke.ca/living-here/emergencies/police-services/community-watch/
(Written By: Richard Evans)
