Pubdate: Wed, 13 Jul 2005
Source: Chatham This Week (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Chatham This Week
Contact: http://www.chathamthisweek.com/contact.php
Website: http://www.chathamthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/719
Author: Brian Cleeve

SNAP TARGETS DRUG USE AND PROSTITUTION

Cindy Brown is looking for people to accompany her as she strolls 
through her neighbourhood.

Brown heads up the Southside Neighbourhood Area Pride (SNAP), a group 
that wants to get rid of drug use and prostitution in their community.

For her efforts so far, Brown has been threatened. But the threats 
have not deterred her.

"I'll do what it takes to get the pushers and prostitutes out of the 
area. I'm not going to let a kid get a hold of drugs. And no kid 
needs to see half covered women standing on a street corner."

Brown got involved because condoms and syringes were being left on 
the ground in the neighbourhood, clear signs of prostitution and drug use.

The 34-year-old mother of four is partly disabled and so she can't 
walk very far. So she's hoping that people near her Blytheswood 
Crescent home and an area that takes in Keil Drive, Park Avenue, 
Lacroix Street and Tweedsmuir Avenue, will get out with her.

Brown is frustrated by the apathy she has found in her effort to 
clean up the neighbourhood.

"As long as I don't get any help, people can't help each other," Brown says.

She has lived in her home for about four years, but began her quest 
to get an active pride group going about one year ago.

There's an executive of about five people and 20 who say they are 
willing to "stroll" but there hasn't been a meeting of the group in 2005.

Brown went door-to-door getting names on a Neighbourhood Watch 
petition -- 75 in one day -- but that association is more passive, 
providing a safe haven for people in times of trouble and watching 
out for neighbours, she said.

The strollers are out to identify problems and report them to police.

"We don't approach or confront people causing problems, we just write 
down information and report them to the police."

Brown said she once got the licence number of a john and reported him 
to her friend Marjorie Crew who heads up East Side Pride and who has 
a list of men who frequent prostitutes. Brown and some of her group 
walked with Crew and her group to get some insight.

Ironically, Brown was born in Chatham's east end and says "I never 
had to worry about seeing prostitutes or crack cocaine."

Crew has been an invaluable resource to Brown but also, unwittingly, 
a source of the problem.

Brown explains that many of the prostitutes and drug dealers who 
frequent her area were run out of the east end by Crew and her group.

"We have to find a way to keep these people out all of the areas of 
the community."

One of things delaying the group from strolling the area is lack of 
funding. Brown said money is needed to buy equipment such as 
flashlights and clothing that makes the group visible."

"We want people to know we are out there."

Brown says a bake sale and yard sale are two potential means of 
raising the money that is needed.

Anyone interested in joining Brown and her group can call her at 401-6633.
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