A warehouse door guards the main entrance of Pilgrim Baptist Church in Winnipeg’s South Point Douglas neighbourhood. It’s one of several security measures it’s needed to take.
“All the windows here we’ve got replaced with non-breakable glass, and we’ve got a gate put in the back. We have to get our air conditioner fixed again, but we’re just not too sure where we want to place it right now, so that’s up in the air,” said Anthony Tynes, a deacon at the church, saying copper has been stolen from the AC unit multiple times.
“We’ve got a shut-off valve for our outside water. We used to just take the tap off, but they figured out how to turn it on… and sometimes water would be running for a day or two so of course our water bill would skyrocket.”
Congregation cars have also been broken into and walls graffitied on, the deacon said. While it’s cost thousands of dollars, it’s also been a cost in other areas.
“It’s always a concern with the people. That’s probably one of the reasons too why the congregation is not like it should be,” Tynes said, noting the congregation has dwindled over the years.
The church isn’t alone in its experience of crime.
Recently, the city was barraged by what police have called a “cluster” of crime, with two carjackings, two assaults, a stabbing and shooting all taking place since Oct. 25.
However, inspector Helen Peters with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) says timing is where the similarities end.
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“There were a couple of those (incidents) that happened downtown, but then half of them actually happened in the north end. So, we’re not seeing a really focalized, small area where they’re happening,” she said.
These kinds of spikes have happened before, and the WPS is keeping its eye on them.
“It’s something that we’re really focused on, it’s something that we’re aware of,” Peters said, commissioning the public to stay alert.
“We can only act upon the information that we receive. So, one of the most important things people can do for us is help give us the information that allows us to make strategic decisions when we’re thinking about keeping our community safe.”
She said some ways to stay safe include walking with other people, keeping to well-lit areas, and making eye contact with the people around you for better situational awareness.
Kevin Walker, executive director of the Bear Clan, said safety city-wide is always a concern, and many root causes need to be addressed to provide a solution.
“Poverty drives a lot of need. You know, desperate times, desperate measures. I think we have to work together at curbing some of those issues that are longstanding, you know. Mental health and other things,” he said.
Yet, with understanding the root causes comes another danger — the stigmatization of vulnerable people.
Walker pleaded with Winnipeggers, asking them not to make quick assumptions about people after a spike in violence.
“That’s part of the problem with some of the struggles of some of our unhoused relatives. You know, they’re judged right away before they’re even talked to,” he said.
“Don’t be so judgmental of some of the situations that people are in. We don’t understand sometimes what people have gone through to get them to that point. So if people can just act with good intentions and a bit of kindness, I think some of that’s a start… Spread the love, as they say.”
Tynes said, through outreach, the congregation has gotten to know some of the people that may even have something to do with the damage to their church.
“They’re not as bad as a whole lot of people perceive them to be. You know, you’ve got to understand their situation also,” he said.
So, counting the cost, the church presses on.
“God’s not ready to close our doors yet, obviously,” Tyne said. “The Lord will make a way somehow.”
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