CANTON — Police in Canton are trying to stop crime before it starts. Instead of just reacting to calls, their community involvement unit is trying to address concerns before they become problems, especially in underserved areas.

People who live in there say crime is a reality on Canton's Southeast side.

“People do all kind of stealing and stuff around, you can’t trust anybody around here,” said resident, Joyce Cook.

Lt. Michael Roberts thinks the increase in crime is due to high resident turnover.

“And with that comes new people coming in, learning the area, and maybe not contributing to the well-being of everybody,” said Roberts.

But through the microgrant project, police have increased patrols and increased community engagement. And on Friday, they held a cookout for people who live

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