A recent announcement outlining plans for a Neighbourhood Safety Plan for Leamington is the product of a partnership between the Ontario Provincial Police (Essex County), the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, and the Windsor-Essex Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Committee.
With funding from a Community Safety and Policing Grant, the group – called Substance Supports in Neighbourhoods Accessed Through Police Partnerships (SSNAPP) – aims to enhance community well-being, strengthen public safety, and address local concerns related to mental health and substance abuse.
The plan will now give local residents and organizations the information they need to help those in distress or need.
The Neighbourhood Safety Plan for Leamington appears in book form and also online, and is based on information gathered from residents, businesses and local organizations in October of 2025.
“These safety plans will positively affect the health and well-being of our communities by ensuring that residents have access to the tools and resources they need to support themselves and their neighbours,” said Dr. Ken Blanchette, Chief Executive Officer for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU).
Essex County OPP Inspector Charles Lorway said people always ask who they can call, what they can do and how they can help. He says the plan outlines all of that.
“The plans are a tool to help us achieve all of this,” he said.
Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald agreed, saying that the safety plan helps engage the residents who want to help when they come across a situation requiring assistance.
“We want to make our community safer and better,” she said. “When we engage with our residents, that happens. It’s part of the plan for being a better place.”
Co-chair of the Windsor-Essex Community Safety and Well-Being Plan’s Advisory Committee, Natasha Sheeler, said it’s all in the spirit of collaboration and partnership.
“The safety plans align with the Windsor Essex Community Safety and Well-Being Plan’s goal to enhance the safety and inclusivity of public spaces by identifying local risks, implementing practical safety solutions, and fostering shared responsibility,” she said.
A similar plan was launched in Essex last week.
The booklets start with a “Who Do I Call?” section, and proceed to go through many of the situations that people may find in their travels throughout the municipality.
It deals with what to do if you encounter a mental health crisis, a substance use crisis, intimate partner violence, homelessness, human trafficking, vandalism, theft/trespassing, discrimination/racism or road safety, and also gives local resources that can help in these situations.
The booklet is available in printed form at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre or online at ssnapp.ca.
