Community safety forum hosted next month by Ward 2’s Gilliland

February 23, 2023 · 0 Comments

Learn the realities of – and how to protect yourself from – robberies, car thefts, home invasions and more next month as Ward 2 Councillor Rachel Gilliland hosts a forum on community safety.

Featuring presentations from members of the York Regional Police, the meeting will take place at the Aurora Community Centre on Sunday, March 5 at 6.30 p.m. – offering participants a chance to learn, and even to enjoy the Aurora Tigers in play-off mode afterward.

“Here, I’m focusing on car thefts, home invasions and robberies – and I chose those topics [from the Police] because those are the types of things that I have heard concerns from people at the door and also on social media,” says Councillor Gilliland. “People are posting their car being stolen, packages at their door, or people snooping around and doing things. If we get people prepared on how to respond, what to do, or what to repair, I think it’s a safe approach to a situation that could be dangerous.

“It’s no different than, say, preparing your family in the event of a fire. You want to make sure you’re safe if you’re in that situation and also fire prevention is the same way: you make sure your smoke alarms are in good working order, you have proper egresses. With crime, it’s the same thing: be prepared, how to keep yourself safe, know what those signs are and what to do to avoid a danger situation.”

Councillor Gilliland says there’s been a rise in this kind of activity in York Region, and when she attended a crime prevention meeting last year, she says she was inspired to bring this information not just to her Ward 2 constituents but to all Aurora residents who might want to take part.

“I thought it was something great to bring to the community and as I was talking to people it really validated that this is something that would be of great benefit for people to fully understand,” she says, noting that it will also be a chance for residents to learn more about the YRP’s online crime map. “I want to support getting that information out to the residents of Aurora. I think the more educated we are on this, the better off we are.”

For an intro to the program, visit youtu.be/d20JU3jCDxk.

Additional YRP personnel will be on site to answer questions beyond the topics of robberies, car thefts, and home invasions outside of the formal session.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter