St. Catharines Regional Councillor wants online abuse to end saying she's afraid and fed up

Can you imagine getting an email saying 'we are watching."

That's how Regional Councillor Laura Ip's morning started on Sunday after receiving threatening and critical messages.

She says it has become her new normal.

Ip says she's become a target on social media, and she's put up with abuse and harassment online for two years now.

"I can't win. If I ignore it, I should be calling it out and making it public. If I call it out, I'm whining. If I call the police, I'm wasting taxpayers' resources. If I don't call the police, it's not serious enough."

"They want me to shut up, that's their big issue."

Ip says she's reaching a breaking point, and she called the police this morning to report some of the emails.

Police told her to make sure her doors, and windows are locked.

She says female politicians are targeted more than men. "If one of these guys decides to turn violent, I have no hope."

"All of the abuse I've taken has been personal against me and my children."

Ip ended her conversation with CKTB's Tom McConnell by asking people to end this kind of behaviour.

"Every time you see it, call it out. Stop blaming or placing responsibility on the women who are exposed to it."