The Sarnia Police Service (SPS) is hearing calls for enhanced safety measures following an incident involving students last month.
On March 4, a woman allegedly grabbed a student crossing the road from London Road Public School to the Boys & Girls Sarnia-Lambton after-school program at the Lochiel Kiwanis Centre.
In a letter to the Sarnia Police Services Board, resident Robert Dickieson is calling the incident a symptom of escalating criminal activities.
At the latest board meeting, Dickieson proposed a community safety committee and a daily police escort for school children in that area.
Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis said currently, the service does not have the resources to provide a daily escort.
"At the end of the day we have a fine amount of resources that we deploy as effectively as we can based on priorities," said Davis.
He explained with the resources police have, they have to use them for urgent matters first, so having an escort wouldn't be possible at this moment.
"We're not holding spare resources in the cupboard, everything we have is being deployed," he said.
Davis said the assault was an isolated incident, but he understands parents' concern.
"As a parent, I understand but as the police chief looking at the frequency of that particular type of circumstance that is not something we see on a regular basis," Davis said. "We do have other crime issues downtown and we deal with those as reported, we respond and we do what we can."
Dickieson hopes the community will take the initiative and go outside around the time students are out of school. This way if they see something they can report it.
"Having a presence will help change the narrative and change the access to services for everyone who lives in the community," he said.
Recently, police said there has been an increase in high risk violent crimes in the city.
Deputy Police Chief Julie Craddock believes the solution is a community led approach.
Dickieson said he is trying to speak to Sarnia City Council to ask for additional police funding, and to declare crime in the city an emergency.