Carlington residents fed up with violence in neighbourhood

A young mother of three living in Carlington says she's fed up with the spate of violence that has unfoldednear her home this past year and is calling on all Ottawa residents "to care" about what's happening in the neighbourhood.

There have been three homicides, as well as shootingsin the west Ottawaneighbourhood since the beginning of the year, including a shooting on Friday night near an Ottawa Community Housing building on Caldwell Ave.

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Melonie Kilby, 27, who lives in the same building, said she's constantly trying to shield her childrenfrom seeing others in the buildingusedrugs and alcohol, and getting into fist fights.

Kilbyonly movedto the areaa month ago, but said she's already planning to move because she "can't handle it here."

Some residents feel 'stuck' in neighbourhood

"The city needs to care about this area. Absolutely. And they don't, and it sucks," she said.

Kilby said there are many single mothersin the neighbourhood who want to leave, but can't afford to.

"So they're stuck here. Living with this," she said.

"My girlfriend was walking [home]from Wal-mart she was walking with her four month oldand her four year old, and she couldn't go into the elevator because of how much blood was in there from the shooting today," said Kilby.

Grace Atanga, 57, also lives in the same building, and said she sometimes "feels nervous" in the neighbourhood.

"When you hear of shootings, you never feel safe you're always afraid, so you panic, because you don't know when your own turn will come," said Atanga.

Standing room only at recent community safety meeting

On Thursday evening, about 100 people packed into a local community centre for a "safety night" hosted by the area's city councillor, Riley Brockington.

He said the recent violence has "elevated" the "community's anxiety", but that crimein the neighbourhood is often targeted.

"A lot of it is people who know each other. This isn't random strangers being attacked by strangers. These are people who have a debt, drug deals who have had conflict in the past," Brockington said.

Next month, members from the Ottawa Police Service and Ottawa Community Housing will be going door to door in some parts of the neighbourhood to educate residents about the importance of reporting information to the police.

"If you're a tenant and you're aware of activities going on in another unit on your floor, if you're aware of people who are continuously coming on your floor who don't live in the building,that's information that OttawaCommunity Housing security need to have. And obviously, if there are illegal activities going on, the Ottawa police need that information as well," said Brockington.