The Bear Clan Patrol is spreading and Portage la Prairie could be the next Manitoba community to start a local chapter.

A group in the city, located about 85 kilometres west of Winnipeg, has met with leaders of the citizen patrol group in Brandon and Winnipeg. The Portage organizers hope to start patrolling the streets there this fall, in response to growing crime and drug use.

"A program like this has been a long time coming," said Amber Beaulieu, who is heading up the effort to bring the patrol group to Portage.

"I've worked in the school system … I work with a lot of youth," she said. "Unfortunately, statistically, a lot of youth are getting involved with [drugs]."

Vienna Lopez, who is helping Beaulieu and is a facilitator at the Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation, said things came to a head in the spring with a number of violent incidents.

"We had, unfortunately, a couple of murders and prior to that we had been discussing the Bear Clan," she said. "With [the] things that were taking place, we knew what the community wanted."

A community meeting in June drew more than 230 people, according to Lopez and Cornell Pashe, the city's Indigenous community co-ordinator, who is also working to start the group.

A variety of people from different backgrounds came out to voice their concerns and opinions. "We ended up with having more people than what we anticipated, which for us was a sign that it was needed," Pashe said.

The turnout was "inspiring," Lopez said.

"It just shows that when the chips are down and something needs to happen … you go to your community and you try to make it happen."

RCMP in the city have responded to a number of serious incidents in recent months, including the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man, a stabbing and a home invasion that saw a man shot with a pellet gun.

For Beaulieu, watching what has been happening in the community motivated her to get involved.

"The community is very important to me," said Beaulieu. "Youth and the teaching of Indigenous histories is very important to me."

The Bear Clan is just one of several initiatives in the Prairie city prompted by a growing crime and drug problem, said Irvine Ferris, mayor of the city of 13,000 people. RCMP will also be starting new foot patrols in the downtown area of Portage, but more actions are needed, he said.

"Our RCMP members are working very hard but their resources are stretched right to the limit right now," said Ferris, noting 28 RCMP officers are stationed in the city.

Ferris had a meeting with business owners and the RCMP in July and said retailers are seeing more and more thefts from stores.

"The business community … told me they're feeling frustration. They're also taking some huge losses," Ferris said. "Before this escalates any further, there needs to be some meaningful interventions."

Beaulieu is hopeful the group she's heading up can help put a dent in crime and other issues her community is facing.

"I hope that Bear Clan brings programming to people who are suffering from social problems. I have a lot of hopes for Portage."