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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1984, PAGE 3 Neighbourhood Watch started in College Downs By JONATHAN LOCKE Free Press Staff A new branch of the growing Neighbourhood Watch program was christened at a meeting held last Wednesday evening at the Whitby Municipal Building. Over 65 residents of the College Downs com- munity gathered to organize Neigh- bourhood Watch in their area. "We are asking you to look, to see and to listen," said Karen Cat- tafi, chairman of the College Downs organizing committee. "We want to make our community a safer place to live." Mayor Bob Attersley was one of six speakers who made a presen- tation. "We are in- terested in Neigh- bourhood Watch as a council and have been for some time," Atter- sley said. "I am a firm believer that the greatest cure is in the prevention." "The police can't be everywhere at the same time," he continued. "We need the help of people concerned with getting to the grass roots of the problem. The more Neigh- bourhood Watch expan- ds in Whitby, the hap- pier council will be." Neighbourhood Watch is an organized netword of concerned neighbours watching out for one another's property. The growth of the program in Whitby is due largely to the rash of break-and- enters the town has been experiencing lately. Carol Tibbo, who established Durham Region's first Neigh- bourhood Watch program in the Pringle Creek community, was also a guest speaker at the meeting. "Neigh- bourhood Watch seems to be' the only type of solution that is non- violent," Tibbo said. The only break-in Tib- bo's community has ex- perienced since the program started oc- cured on April 8 and that, she said, happened when "Neighbourhood Watch was still in its in- fancy. There has only been one attempted break-in since then," which was foiled by an alert neighbour who saw it happening. Tibbo had earlier stated that the Town of Whitby wasn't doing enough to support the program, but told the Free Press that the town now plans to promote Neighbourhood Watch in its semi- annual bulletin. "The fact that the mayor is here tonight is a sign of the town's support," she said. Constable John Bell of the Durham Regional Police Force enlightened the gathering regarding home security methods. "There is. no perfect system that can prevent someone from getting into your home, aside from making it a for- tress," he said. "But you can take a few sim- ple steps to make it har- der for someone to get in." Among Bell's suggestions for burglar- proofing the home are: -never leave your home in total darkness; -leave a radio playing when the house is empty in the evenings; -have your back entran- ce lit as well as the front; -make your- house number clearly seen from the road so police can respond to calls quickly; -post your house num- ber at the back so that a rear neighbour who may witness a break-in from the back of your home can tell police which house it is; -when someone comes to your door, make sure you find .out who it is before you allow them to enter; -keep small, valuable easy-to-carry items in safety deposit boxes rather than in a drawer at home; -store guns and am- munition safely; -have your valuables engraved with an iden- tification number, preferably the one that appears on your driver's licence; -never leave your garage door open during the day; and -do not leave notes taped to the front door that say such things as "Sears - Hi, I'm out.." "The police depar- tment patrols 1,150 square miles with 300 of- ficers," Bell said. "This is the proper ratio of of- ficers to citizens, but we still need the support of the community. We are trying to educate people with programs like Neighbourhood Watch." Paul Dugas, property claims director for the All-State Insurance Company, spoke about the insurance limits -on many items when covered with a standard home-owner's policy. Photographic equip- ment and manuscripts, for example, carry an insurance limit of $1,000 unless more coverage is added. . Dugas suggested that home, owners read the fine print of their policies, make a list of their credit cards sb they can be easily can- celled if stolen and take color photographs of each room in the house. "If I asked you to list every item in your home, I'll bet you couldn't," Dugas said. Photographs can help police recover stolen items and prove to-the insurance company that you did in fact own the items you have claimed. Sturdy locks of all varieties were demon- strated by Terry Kuchirka of Lockshop Ltd. on Dundas Street East in Whitby. Among the items Kuchirka displayed were deadbolt locks, window gratings and solid standard locks. Karen Cattafi roun- ded out the meeting with an outline of the Neigh- bourhood Watch program. Block cap- tains will be appointed to inform other mem- bers of any events that have transpired, such as attempted break-ins. Three signs, at a cost of $40 each, will be erected around the College Downs area stating that it is a Neighbourhood Watch community. Two electric engravers and special identifying felt markers will be pur- chased. These costs are covered by $2 donations from group members, and the Town of Whitby is going to be respon- sible for upkeep of the signs. "The most important ingredient," Cattafi concluded, "is caring." "We've always said that Whitby is a great place to live, work and play," Mayor Attersley said. "We'll make it a better place to live, work and play." 24-hour stores will not b By JONATHAN LOCKE Free Press Staff Amotion callig for Wbitby Town Coundil to "investigate the ap- propriateness" Of regulating the operation times of 24-hour establishments was voted down at their meeting Monday night. Regional Councillor Tom Edwards :spoke strongly against the proposal prior to the vote. "I've been to the businesses in this aréa," he said, "and only one said they were in favour (of council's regulating hours). And he's only open until il o'clock, so he doesn't even care. I spoke to one restaurant owner who does more business on the mid- night shift than on the afternoon shift." Edwards said he would only propose regulating the hours of convenience stores and gas stations if "there All-night The possibility of losing up to a quarter of her business if the Town of Whitby Coundil were to restrict her hours concerns Shirley Blair, manager of the Texaco gas station at the corner of Dundas and Ken- dalwood Streets in Whitby. "There are a lot of workers who need businesses open at night," Blair said in response to council's discussion of the ap- propriateness of was an outcry from the people", which he feels there definitely is not. "I have done my homework; I've talked to the business com- munity, and I am not prepared to endorse this by-law,"headded. Councillors Joe Bugelli and Joe Drumm, who jointly presented the motion, felt the by-law was im- portant so that council could, as Drunmm put it, "have a good long look" at the situation. "We've been very for- tunate," Bugelli said. "Out of 100 robberies in 1983, 18 were of the variety store type. Of these, only two hap- pened between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. I don't want to see this municipality act too fast." Bugelli felt that this by-law, worded in such a way that examination of the situation would be forthcoming, was an opportunity for council to have an indepth look at it. "Perhaps we are jumping on a ban- dwagon," Councillor* Ross Batten said in reference to the recent late-night murder of a Mac's Milk worker in Mississauge. "But perhaps by bringing the matter into the light we can get some real good input from our staff, store owners and con- cerned residents," he continued. "I think I can support this motion." "I do not think we should roll up the Town of Whitby at il o'clock," Mayor Atter- sley said. He pointed out that there are several types of robberies occuring every day in other municipalities. "Are we just going to close up everything?" businesses needed regulating 24-hour establishments. "It's been this way for so long, I don't know what it would be like if they closed them down at night." A trial run might in- dicate to council the ramifications of restric- ting store hours. "They would really have to try it before they could see how rmuch flak they might get," she said. Blair bas never had any problem hiring staff to work late night shifts. "There's so much unemployment, we've had a steady flow of people," she said. "I've also been surprised at the number of females who are willing to work at night." Shirley Blair Texaco has had no problem with crime at night since the installation of an alarm system two years ago. "I could lose 25 per cent of my business," Blair said, "possibly more, depending on the hours cut." e regulated he said. "This proposal hours, tha would take up a lot of ferent. I d staff time and a lot of should m committee time. If we because( were studying the that - h situation with the inten- Mississau tion of regulating their The mo by at.would be di o not think w ake decision of somethin appened i ga." tion died in Whitby council if- tie vote, with Bugelli, flict of interest ve Drumm and Batten in matter because1 ns favour and Attersley, is employed atî ng Edwards and Emm op- convenience sto in posed. did not take par Councillor Marcel discussion or vot a Brunelle declared a con- motion. in the his son a local Dre. He t in the e on the Only minor injuries were sustained when two vehicles collided at the corner of Perry and Dundas Sts. early last Friday afternoon. An eyewitness told the Free Press that the driver of the Mustang (right, forward) was attempting to make the left hand turn from Perry St. to Dundas St. The driver proceeded out into the intersection when the vehicle struck the Camaro (left, rear) which was westbound on Dundas St. in the centre lane. A merchant operating a store near the intersection later remarked that the corner was a dangerous one and has been the site of numerous accidents. As of press time it was not known whether or not any charges had been laid in connection with the ac- cident. Free Press Staff Photo I Downtown collision Terry Kuchirka of the Lockshop (above) demonstrates some heavy-duty locks to keep would-be burglars out of your home. Kuchirka spoke at a meeting of the Neighbourhood Watch group last Wed- nesday at the Whitby Municipal Building. Free Press Staff Photo