Dauphin installs more cameras as crime prevention tool

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Written by: Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative reporter

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By turning their eyes skyward, leaders in Dauphin believe they can help reduce crime and provide residents with a greater sense of safety and security.

Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe recently announced that $24,000 from the Criminal Forfeiture Fund will go to the city of Dauphin to allow the city in the Parkland area to install 15 additional CCTV cameras.

The state also previously supported efforts in Dauphin to add 10 more high-definition cameras to properties in the city and upgrade seven existing cameras to high definition, according to Wiebe.

Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak said Friday that the Dauphin city council is focused on using cameras as a tool to combat and prevent crime and increase feelings of safety and security for the more than 8,000 people who call Dauphin home.

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“This is about us trying to be preventative rather than reactive after an incident occurs,” Bosiak said. “If someone is thinking of doing something stupid, we hope this will give them a reason to think twice.

“We have a great relationship with the local RCMP and they do a really good job in this community, but we also try to do what we can to help ourselves with crime prevention.”

The council also hopes the cameras will help Dauphin residents feel a greater sense of security in the community.

“That’s a big reason why we’re doing this,” Bosiak said. “This isn’t just about stopping crime or criminals, it’s about being proactive and asking ‘What can we do as a council to make people feel safe?’ It’s about saying.

Leaders of many rural Manitoba communities are raising warning signs in recent months about what many say is rising crime in small communities and increasing problems with homelessness and addictions.

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Bosiak said crime levels in Dauphin have remained steady over the past several years and he does not believe the community is in a “precarious” situation like some other communities when it comes to crime, homelessness and addiction.

“Crime fluctuates all the time and we usually see a little less crime in the winter and more in the summer, but we haven’t seen a huge increase in any crime in Dauphin,” he said.

“So things like cameras are not actually there because we’re trying to stop a problem, but because we have less chance of encountering those problems in the future.”

Bosiak said he hopes that as the city installs cameras and provides better monitoring of what’s happening on its premises, residents and business owners will also consider ways to prevent crimes in their homes or businesses, possibly including installing cameras or using other methods. security measures.

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“It is always up to individuals to decide what is right for them and what is within their means, but I believe everyone should take some responsibility when it comes to their situation,” Bosiak said. “We all have a role to play.”

Since 2009, the Criminal Property Forfeiture Branch has distributed more than $30 million in seized and liquidated criminal assets to Manitoba communities for projects and initiatives to improve public safety, according to Wiebe.

“This program is a win-win situation,” Wiebe said. “We can make communities safer while making drug traffickers and organized crime pay the price.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter for the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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