Parents speak out about swarmings, violence
Orléans parents band together to take action against raft of violence by youth
When his teenage son became a victim last week, Greg Shore decided enough was enough, and sounded the alarm.
Shore turned to Facebook to tell the story of how his 14-yearold had been chased by a group of boys in the Avalon area of Orléans.
“They were screaming at him with threats of harm, yet Ethan did not know any of them. He was not going to tell us because he felt we would not allow him to go to his friend’s house again,” Shore wrote.
The boys didn’t catch Shore’s son, but he was visibly rattled and it took some time to get the story out of him, Shore said.
“This really does need to stop. The swarming is out of control. Time to step up, parents.
“Our kids should feel safe travelling to a friend’s house or hanging out in a field, playing. Police are aware of these cowards, but as you would expect, these kids don’t stick around. Oh, and the kids that get attacked are terrified to speak out against these kids out of fear of ramifications.”
After Shore told his story, other parents assured him the incident was not an isolated one.
Some reported swarmings, bullying, intimidation and the theft of bicycles, electronics and high-end running shoes.
Shore created a Facebook group called It’s Your City, Let’s All Help Make Orléans Safe. By Wednesday afternoon, the group had more than 2,000 members, even though it was a closed group.
One member posted security camera video of a man trying to break into his house.
One reported that two girls, eight and 10, were swarmed by five teen boys in a park several years ago. “In broad daylight,” he added for emphasis.
Other reports suggested that a group of eight to 12 teens were responsible for the swarmings and intimidation.
One contributor posted a security camera video of a man trying to break into his house after 3 a.m.
Another posted a photo of her son with a bleeding face and a bandaged head in an ambulance. “This is what we experienced the last day of May,” she wrote.
Last August, Ottawa police reported a dramatic increase in the number of swarmings and personal robberies for the first time in many years. Swarmings are up 24 per cent compared with 2016, and personal robberies are up 55 per cent, including a number of swarmings in the east end.
However the police stats don’t point to a particular problem in the Orléans area.
Ottawa police Const. Andrew Worth said that since July 1 of last year, there have been fewer than eight reported assaults and robberies classified as swarmings in the Avalon, Notting Hill and Cardinal Creek areas. “This is not to say the incidents are not happening,” he said.
Shore said the goal is awareness, accountability and keeping the community safe.
He’s hoping to get advice at a community meeting to be held Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Fallingbrook Room at the Ray Friel Centre.