By Katrina Geenevasen
Belleville police are hoping a new gun hotline will make Belleville a safer place to be.
“With the gun hotline, we’re making the community aware that we’re seeing an increase in gun and gang-related activity,” said Belleville Deputy Police Chief Paul Vandegraaf. “We’re not saying it’s out of control. It’s just something that we are recognizing, and we’re going to be ahead of the curve on.”
While Vandegraaf says there has been an increase in gun and gang violence, it’s difficult to pinpoint the number of calls related to this kind of criminal activity.
The hotline, launched Monday, will simplify the process of reporting firearm information, and gang and gun activity in the area.
The crime prevention initiative is part of Belleville police’s first Provincial Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (PAVIS) funded program.
Modeled after the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy, PAVIS aims to reduce illegal gang, drugs and weapons activities in communities by focusing on intervention, prevention, enforcement, and community mobilization.
Belleville is one of 17 communities participating in PAVIS.
The hotline, which can be reached at 613-966-0882 ext. 2318, is now available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. If the caller wants to remain anonymous, they can.
Vandegraff wants to stress the hotline is not replacing 911 or Crime Stoppers.
“This is just a new way to get the community to be mobilized to recognizing the issues that are facing our community,” said Vandegraaf. “If it’s an emergency, and people are concerned about their safety or anybody else’s, I don’t want them to call the hotline, because there is not going to be anybody answering the phones, it’s going to be going directly to voicemail.”
While criminal activity like drug trafficking is on the rise in Belleville, Vandegraaf said it’s because of outsiders coming into Belleville as a result of increased police presence.
“What we’re finding is those people are sort of being displaced from the greater Toronto area,” said Vandegraaf. “So the gun hotline is just one way for our community to actually step up in some way and become involved in making our place a better place to be.”
Vandegraaf said the information the public will provide will become an essential part of the policing officers do within the community.
“Our ultimate goal is increased enforcement,” said Vandegraaf.
By working with law enforcement partners, police hope to stem the problem before it gets worse.
“Certainly at the end of this, we hope the community will be very engaged in making their community a safe place to be and making it an unwanted activity. Policing is only one piece, but so is the community saying ‘no’ to this type of this behavior.”
Vandegraaf says the gun hotline is only the first in a number of steps that will gradually happen as a result of the grant, which is worth about $200,000.
The money, which will be distributed in increments over a two-year period, will also go towards educating the community.
“The gun hotline is only our first step towards mobilizing the community,” said Vandegraaf. “We have other plans for community mobilization, including working with our great partners in the school board.”
Vandegraaf said educating the public is a key competent in making the community aware of the dangers associated with gun and gang violence. Part of that education will start within local schools.
“We intend to do some great education with some of the high school students to make that demographic aware of the kind of activity that they may or may not see in the school areas,” said Vandegraaf.
While Vandegraaf says there doesn’t seem to be too much of a problem yet, guns and gangs not issues to be taken lightly.
“Any time a gun is used in any crime, is a serious issue,” said Vandegraaf. “To be honest with you, if somebody uses a gun in a robbery, it’s a serious issue for me, both as a citizen of this community, as well as the deputy chief here.”