Joint meeting held to discuss Community Watch initiative

07/29/2021

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) would like to inform the community that a meeting was held to discuss the newly created Community Watch initiative to further discuss issues arising from several recent incidents involving non-locals acting “suspiciously.”

The meeting was attended by the Kahnawà:ke Peacekeepers, members of the Public Safety Division, Ratsénhaienhs Ryan Montour, and Frank Whitebean, who is one of the main organizers of the Community Watch.

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers and Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke are committed to supporting the efforts of Kahnawa’kehró:non to keep the community safe, provided that the Community Watch initiative follows all safety precautions that were previously established with the Kids Safe Zone Program. All participants must adhere to security checks to ensure everyone’s safety. We urge community members to act responsibly and to report any suspicious activity by calling 450-632-6505. When calling the Peacekeepers to report an incident or suspicious activity, please provide the dispatcher with pertinent information such as:

• Make and model of vehicle
• Plate number
• Area and direction
• Number of occupants
• Description of occupants
• Description of incident or activity

The Community Watch initiative must focus on observation, awareness and reporting, NOT intercepting individuals or vehicles – which is something that the Peacekeepers, MCK, the Public Safety Division and the Community Watch do not condone or support.

The efforts of Mr. Whitebean and the Community Watch Initiative will be combined with the Kids Safe Zone Program to further enhance the safety of the community, and to keep Kahnawa’kehró:non aware and safe.

The Peacekeepers would also like to further remind the community to not risk their safety by intervening in such incidents and to take actions that are consistent with our values of respect and our laws.