River Heights man starts neighbourhood patrol after break ins
Daren Jorgenson says it's not just up to police to make the Winnipeg neighbourhood safer
A handful of River Heights residents – who are sick and tired of the constant stream of break ins in their Winnipeg neighbourhood – have decided to take things into their own hands.
Leading the charge is Daren Jorgenson who has had his car broken into eight times, his garage broken into four times, and a few months ago, someone stole a truck from his driveway. Sunday was the last straw, thieves went through his son's vehicle, took $3 in change and drank a soda which they left behind.
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"I was really mad. I said the next person that comes and does this on my property, we're not even going to report it to the police, we're just going to give the guy a beating. But you know that's just frustration talking," Jorgenson said.
"We don't leave our vehicles locked any more cause they're just going to break the window which even causes you more trouble."
Instead, this weekend Jorgenson and three other frustrated River Heights residents decided to start their own neighbourhood watch patrol.
Their plan is to go out every night between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. They'll be driving through back lanes, and streets in the area looking for people who are up to no good, in hopes of reducing crime in the area.
"We're just going follow them and video record them and call the police. We're not going to jump out of our trucks and grab them or anything," Jorgenson said.
Jorgenson said it's not just up to police to make the neighbourhood safer, and he plans on doing his part.