Mountainview Heights creates modern neighborhood watch program

I was pleased to join dozens of residents in Skinner Park in east Waterdown to help community leaders launch a new ‘neighbourhood watch’ program inside Mountainview Heights.

For several months, a group of community leaders have taken the reigns in organizing a grassroots initiative to build a modern version of the classic neighbourhood watch program. The community leaders have consulted with many residents, the Ward 15 office, and with Hamilton Police Service, in preparation of introducing their program. It’s an app/web-based concept, similar in nature to a social media community page, but it is specific to a localized group of residents. The team from Mountainview Heights will take on the effort of advertising, monitoring, and administrating the program. In short, the idea is to help foster a more close-knit community and make it easier for residents of Mountainview Heights to look out for each other, in a volunteer, crowd-sourced manner. Hamilton Police Service consulted on the pilot, but HPS will not manage any aspect of the project, nor will the standard crime reporting structures, such as calling #911 or the non-emergency phone line, change or be bypassed in any way.

Read the most recent community flyer to learn more:

I was proud to support this initiative at City Council, securing (up to) $10,000 to help produce marketing materials, car stickers, and permanent signage leading into and out of the community. $10,000 is a standard allocation for these types of support program funding requests. Further, it aligns with motions I have brought to Council in support of the Souharissen Natural Area, the Flamborough Archives & Heritage Society, the Waterdown Museum of Hope, Migrants Matter Flamborough and local food banks.

Mountainview Heights residents who would like to learn more and/or join the neighbourhood watch can find the online tool here or email Chris Pera at chris.pera@hamilton.ca for more information.