Neighbours Gather to Talk Safety and Connection

This week, we were pleased to host the Safe and Connected Community event at the community hall – and what a good evening it was! It was inspiring to see our neighbours come together with a shared interest in making our community safer, more welcoming, and better connected.

One of the biggest takeaways? The importance of reporting.

If you witness a crime, spot suspicious activity, or notice a concern in the neighbourhood, it’s crucial to report it to the right service:

• 911 for emergencies
• Non-emergency police line (780-423-4567) for non-urgent police matters
• 311 for city services and infrastructure issues
• 211 for social and community supports

By reporting, we help ensure that services can respond appropriately and monitor trends across the city. We must not allow crime to be normalised in our community.

We also explored simple but powerful ways to strengthen neighbourhood ties.

• Block parties remain one of the best ways to meet neighbours and build trust.

• Block-level WhatsApp or text groups allow neighbours to share quick updates—like an open garage, toppled bin, unexpected visitor, or a package left outside.

• And sometimes, a friendly check-in when you notice something out of place can make all the difference.

Many of these ideas are already part of our neighbourhood culture, but it was encouraging to see how they contribute to the bigger picture of community safety.

We’re excited to support more initiatives that build safety and connection throughout the year – and we’d love to hear from you!

If you have suggestions or would like to get involved, please reach out.

Small actions, taken by many, create meaningful change.

You can find online information about the Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (NET) on the city’s website: Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (NET) | City of Edmonton. 

Read more about what Edmonton Neighbourhood Watch can do for our community.

Information regarding the City of Edmonton’s Vehicle Noise Bylaw can be found on the Edmonton Police Service website by searching “Excessive Noise from Vehicles.”Excessive Noise from Vehicles

Thanks to Neighbourhood Empowerment Team and Edmonton Neighbourhood Watch for presenting and to Cllr Michael Janz for coming along to support our efforts to empower our community