LaSalle ranked third safest community in Canada
The town of LaSalle has been named the third safest community in Canada, according to the Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics.
“When I am talking to the residents of our community, they often tell me how safe they feel,” said LaSalle Mayor Marc Bondy. “We thank the members of the LaSalle Police Service for their commitment and dedication to ensuring our safety.”
The ranking is based on the Crime Severity Index for 2020 which collects crime reported data in 325 police services across the country. The index is designed to measure the change in the overall seriousness of crime from one year to the next, as well as relative differences in the seriousness of crime across the country. It measures both violent and non-violent crimes.
“We are pleased that the Town of LaSalle consistently ranks as having one of the lowest rates of crime in the country especially as we navigate this global pandemic and its effect on our operations, staff and community at large,” said Acting Chief Duncan Davies.
“We just take care of each other! The community looks after each other.”
LaSalle residents Maria Colucci and Giovanna, who didn’t wish to use her last name, say they feel safe in the community, but admit they’ve become more proactive over the last several years.
“We like to go for a walk. We have a nice beautiful park and we feel safe!” Giovanna adds, “We used to keep all our doors always open, but I think lately we close it, it’s a little bit, changed a little. We still feel safe!”
Town councillor and former Windsor police officer Mike Akpata credits the entire community, saying it’s a team effort.
“Locking doors, locking their cars, hardening their infrastructure. We’re very pleased that all of the efforts have resulted in a third place ranking, but for us it’s about what we do for each other.”
Akpata notes the COVID-19 pandemic meant more people were keeping an eye on their neighbourhood, saying community engagement has been more proactive than reactive.
“It is the bus drivers keeping an eye out for people, it is our public works folks that are out in trucks with radios looking out for people, it is our citizens calling in. It is a comprehensive effort that makes LaSalle a wonderful place to live.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.