Edmonton police happy to see new neighbourhood watch groups but warn against vigilantism

Brad Ison has had enough of the crime around his west Edmonton condo and he's organizing an effort to make his place a tougher target.

He recently gave CTV News Edmonton a tour of the complex, recalling recent vandalism, break ins and thefts.

"The vehicle that's normally here, they've had their tires slashed," Ison said. "And then this stall here is where we had one of the cars stolen."

Although a city report found that calls for police service overall in Edmonton fell from 2017 to 2021, Ison believes petty crime has become more common near his home and he's annoyed.

So Ison and his neighbours formed a new neighbourhood watch group, and a communication system, in hopes of arming residents with the knowledge they need to protect themselves and their property.

“I think people are just a little bit more on edge,” he explained.

"So we can let them know when things happen, we can share tips that we get on better security, let them know what we're looking at doing and just kind of create a little bit more of an overwatch.”

Ison's efforts sound very familiar to some who live around Alberta Avenue north of downtown.

“We have a neighbourhood connection where you connect with everybody in your block and look after each other,” said Erick Estrada of the local community league.

Estrada's neighbours established a safety committee last year, citing a rise in problem properties and gang activity. They maintain a group chat sharing information and offering safety tips.

“We're happy with what we’re seeing so far,” he said. “Stay strong, advocate and be in touch with your city officials.”

An Edmonton Police Service spokesperson said groups like these do help, but he had an important reminder for people getting involved.

"If you're seeing something that's in progress, if you're seeing something that's suspicious, make sure to call the police and don't try to do anything on your own," Sgt. Dan Tames told CTV News Edmonton.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Joe Scarpelli