Recent Crime Activities in South Winnipeg–St. Norbert Ward

Jul 19, 2017

Compared to the City of Winnipeg as a whole, crime in the South Winnipeg-St. Norbert ward is low, BUT it does exist. SEE CRIME STATS MAP. Recently, there has been a rash of vehicle and residential break-ins that I have been made aware of, and I have asked the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) to increase surveillance in the affected areas.

I also want to stress how IMPORTANT it is for any resident who has seen or been a victim of crime to report the crime. Many people do not file a police report for “minor” crimes, i.e. when their unlocked vehicle is entered overnight and only a handful of change is taken. People sometimes see reporting as a nuisance and can’t be bothered to do so when there is no damage and the loss is insignificant. Generally, the WPS only see people file a report for thefts when there is damage to gain entry or a significant loss, or if it is such an ongoing issue that people finally get fed-up enough to make a report.

Everyone has a role in making our homes and communities safer. In the South Winnipeg-St. Norbert ward, there are 68,000 residents living in 13 unique communities. Residents act as the eyes and ears of their community FIRST, and the extended eyes and ears of the Winnipeg Police SECOND. If you have witnessed a crime or been a victim of a crime, the WPS asks that you report it directly to them. This applies to ALL criminal activities, i.e. break-ins, theft, assault, illegal drugs, speeding, dangerous driving, graffiti vandalism, etc.

Report ALL Criminal Activity

Reporting is ESSENTIAL! WPS operates on a similar basis as Winnipeg’s 311 Service Centre. If residents don’t report a crime, no one knows about it and nothing will be done. It’s imperative that residents report issues directly to WPS, so that WPS can contact you again if further information as required.

There are several ways to report criminal activities:

By visiting a police station
By telephone Emergency 911 / Non-emergency (204) 986-6222
By filing an on-line report

It’s important to understand that reporting criminal activities is a key factor in WPS identifying and tracking crime trends in a neighbourhood. WPS utilizes analytics to identify crime trends and in turn deploy additional manpower to address an issue. Sometimes, residents don’t bother to report “minor” criminal activities, but this could be the start of a new crime trend in a community. No matter how insignificant the incident might seem, residents should report it to let WPS know where problems are.

Community Crime Prevention Programs

Community Commitment relates the Police Service’s commitment to working in partnership with residents. The role of residents is to help create a safe and nurturing local environment by observing and reporting any suspicious and possibly criminal activities to WPS. WPS recommends that citizens not participate in any direct verbal or physical involvement with suspicious persons. The personal safety of citizen volunteers is paramount. Their actions to record the details of what they observe, to alert the authorities, and to report those details to the Police Service has proven to be a very effective crime prevention tool.

A local example of community commitment and citizen reporting is the Smashed Window Club – River Heights Facebook group, with 800 members in River Heights, Crescentwood, and Tuxedo. The group’s Facebook Page acts as a digital neighbourhood watch where information is shared about crime and arrests.

For details of WPS and Winnipeg community crime prevention programs, visit these links: