Ritchie Street residents fearful of violence
Posted Oct 20, 2014 05:04:53 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA — Some residents in the Ritchie Street neighbourhood are hoping the city improves police presence after children said a gunman scared them in a playground earlier this month.
About 25 people took part in a prayer walk Sunday afternoon, organized by Reverend Terry Orchard of the Britannia Baptist Church.
The walk was a spiritual response to violence and gang-related incidents near the Britannia Woods Community House Development.
Children reported they were chased by a gunman in a nearby playground on Oct. 10, however Ottawa police investigated and deemed the incident to be a fabrication.
Reverend Terry Orchard told 1310News, he has heard from a number of parents who have expressed fear:
“When you have Moms who out of fear keep their children inside the units and don’t allow them go to out to play during the day, then that tells me there’s a big problem,” said Orchard.
“You had a well publicized murder of an individual who had gang associations, two violent robberies involving pizza delivery men, a shooting, a stabbing.”
Orchard is considering filing a complaint to the chief of Ottawa police.
Bay Ward Councillor Mark Taylor disagreed with the Reverend, stating that crimes rates in Britannia Woods are down, property renovations and cleanups have taken place, and there has been positive growth in graduation rates and economic development.
Taylor also added that many of the people who participated in the prayer walk were not from the area and over the past five years there has been tremendous change that has turned the community around.
