MD of Bonnyville Peace Officers are now offering a free program to the public in hopes of fighting crime. Environmental Design Assessments are being offered to farmers, landowners and businesses around the Md free of charge. This comes after a crime forum held last year where residents said they’d like to see the program started in the community.
MD Reeve Greg Sawchuk says the program is just another step for fighting crime.
“M.D. Council is pleased to offer this proactive service to our residents, farms and businesses. This is just one part of our overall crime reduction plan that we continue to work on.”
CPTED assessments are made up of five components – Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control, Territoriality, Maintenance, and Lighting.
Natural Surveillance includes: keeping an eye on your and your neighbours property while going about your daily lives, i.e. being part of a Crime Watch Association, such as the Beaver River Crime Watch
Natural Access Control includes: using landscaping to make natural barriers and paths, alerting people of where they should and shouldn’t be on the property i.e. sidewalks, flower beds, bushes, and woodchips.
Territoriality includes: fenced yards, plants/trees acting as natural borders between your land and neighbouring land, whether public or private, and could also include Rural Crime Watch signage.
Maintenance includes: making sure all outdoor lights are in working order, keeping lawns and yards maintained, making sure your home and outbuildings are painted and well looked after.
Lighting includes: making sure all outdoor lighting elements are in working order, having motion-activated lights.
To book an appointment to have an assessment done, please call the Public Safety Department at 780-812-3332, or book online by clicking here. Once you get to the Incident Type page, select “Crime Prevention – Property Assessments”. Once the online process has been completed, an officer will get in touch with you on the next working day.
