Do You Have Bothersome Neighbours in Mississauga?

Ah, neighbours.

Sometimes, the people who live in your community are close friends and trusted allies who you rely on to gather your mail while you’re away, keep an eye on your children before you get home from work or simply provide the occasional helping hand or stimulating conversation.

For the most part, neighbours–whether you live in a building or more sprawling subdivision–are good to have.

That said, some neighbourhoods aren’t quite as harmonious as residents would like.

Almost everyone has heard horror stories about houses that seem full of, at the very least, disruptive people. The house where occupants are constantly blasting loud music from the yard at all hours throughout the summer, the unit where people are often heard screaming and yelling, the home that strange people come in and out of day and night, the house that always has four or five cars parked around it at all times–cars that sometimes block the sidewalk and monopolize street space that should also be accessible to guests visiting other households. 

Although naughty neighbours are common and often joked about, issues involving parking, traffic, suspicious activity, noise, litter, graffiti, or even drugs can and do occur in Brampton–and they seriously affect residents’ quality of life.

Now, Peel Regional Police are reminding residents that these worrisome problems can be dealt with – and you that might want to address them sooner rather than later. After all, neighbourhood problems that might seem minor can quickly escalate and affect the wellbeing of the community when left unaddressed.

So, what can you do when you’re having issues in your neighbourhood? 

Here’s a contact list for dealing with your common neighbourhood problems before they get ugly:

Traffic

• Police say that traffic-related issues are among the top five concerns among residents in Peel Region. If you have a traffic problem, contact your police community station or Division. You can also call (905) 453-3311. For minor traffic infractions, you can even use a Road Watch form. 

Parking or noise

• For parking or noise complaints in Brampton, you can call (905) 458-3424. For one-time noise complaints (like your neighbour’s party that’s gone too late next door) call (905) 453-3311 and ask for Communications.

Suspicious activity

• Don’t fail to react or dismiss something suspicious – contact Crime Prevention Services at (905) 453-2121 ext. 4021.

Dogs

• If you see or are bothered by a loose dog, you can call Animal Services at (905) 458-5200.

Here are some tips for other neighbourhood nuisances you might experience:

Litter, graffiti, and poorly maintained properties

• Maintain your own property regularly – don’t let litter accumulate
• Watch for signs of other people’s property accumulating litter or graffiti and take action
• For public properties, contact that property’s municipal or regional department
• For public properties like parks or walkways, contact city hall and ask for community services
• For public properties like walkways, contact city hall and ask for works
• For private properties, call city hall and ask for property standards
• Contact your local councillor for any other property issues

Drugs

• If you notice what you think is a drug dealing problem, take note of your observations, the location, the time it’s happening, descriptions of vehicles involved complete with plate numbers, and descriptions of people involved
• Call (905) 453-3311 and ask for the neighbourhood policing unit to report it

Remember, if you know a crime is happening, call 9-1-1 immediately, and you can always call Crime Stoppers at (905) 455-8477.