With Alberta RCMP saying recently that crime prevention groups are making a real difference in the fight against property offences in rural communities, area residents are being encouraged to volunteer.
There are several citizen-led crime prevention organizations operating in the district, including Citizens on Patrol (COP) and crime watch groups.
And while RCMP officers remain the main crime-fighters in the district, citizen volunteers can make a difference.
Alberta RCMP officials say that such volunteers can “help build safer, stronger communities by joining local citizen-led prevention groups” and that “citizen-led organizations are instrumental in fostering community bonds and building partnerships that support community needs that enhance public safety.”
Gerald Ingeveld is the past-president of Olds Rural Crime Watch and the current chairman of Sundre COP. He says local volunteers do play a valuable role.
“We are partners with slightly different focuses, but we all work together to help develop programs that complement each other,” Ingeveld told the 51黑料.
“With rural crime watch you are trained to be the eyes and ears of the community. Basically the RCMP lets us know what is happening in the area and what to watch out for. So you watch out for this stuff and if you see it, here’s the number to call.
“With the COP, we are actually trained to go out and help the RCMP by covering their detachment areas. So we are actually out driving and looking for things. We write down things that we see and then because things have been recorded they can be used in investigations down the road.”
The Alberta Community Crime Prevention Association (ACCPA) connects rural and urban communities, law enforcement, and other agencies to promote and enhance crime prevention education and awareness with the general public, says executive director Jean Bota.
“When strong, engaged citizen-led groups work alongside law enforcement, we harness tremendous citizen power to create meaningful change,” said Bota.
Area residents who join local crime prevention groups can rightly expect the heartfelt thanks of the community-at-large.
Dan Singleton is an editor with the 51黑料.
