Neighbourhood facing tire slashing

People in one Windsor neighborhood say they are being targeted by vandals.

Four residents found their tires slashed on Church Street around 2:30 a.m. on Feb 20, according to Margelaina Gagne, a house owner on the street.

One home owner recorded the incident. The video shows a man wearing a hoodie and a backpack while he slashed the tire on the passenger’s side  then slashed another on the driver side.

A front tire and back tire along the driver side of Lorraine Lloyd’s Ford Winstar van were damaged. It cost her about $200 to repair.

“They came into my property and slashed,” said Lloyd. “And I do have no trespassing signs, but they still came into my yard and slashed the tires.”

Gagne said this is not the first time vandals have been to this street. Two years ago, more than 200 vehicles were damaged.

Her car alone had two tires slashed. They were brand-new tires and she spent about $400 to repair her vehicle. Gagne said this kind of thing is commonplace in Church Street.

“I was broke into twice,” said Gagne. “They (the suspects) had put a bed in the backyard, so they slept in my backyard.”

Gagne recalls one strange incident when a lady broke into her house and started crying. Police came but didn’t arrest the woman because she was under the influence of drugs and coping with a mental condition.

Despite these occurrences, Gagne refuses to leave.

“I just don’t have want to leave,” said Gagne. “No, we are gonna stay and fight against this. I mean we have to have something that is going to make a difference.”

Gagne is not alone in her determination to make a difference. The Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative is there to support residents with a meeting once a month.

They provide a sports program, gardening and crime prevention programs, according to Sarah Cipkar, the community development coordinator. She said she feels there is a slightly higher crime rate in this area and that’s one of the reason they want to make some differences for this community.

Cameron from DWCC agrees.

“It makes me angry,” said Bob Cameron, the executive director of DWCC. “That is why we are here, one of the reasons is that folks feel safe and our property is treated with respect.”

Police haven’t made any comment at this time.