Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

Citizens on Patrol volunteers help keep community safe

Apr 24, 2017 | 9:46 AM

Driving around the streets of the Battlefords late into the evening, the local Battlefords Citizens on Patrol volunteers quietly keep watch, doing their part to help the community stay safe from crime.

This reporter joined one team this past Friday night, traveling around parts of North Battleford and Battleford to see what it is like, as they say, to be an extra pair of eyes and ears to help the local RCMP.

I couldn’t see much activity, maybe the odd young man walking alone along the street, hoodie up, hands in pockets, but that’s about all.  

A new member, Darryl, who prefers not to disclose his last name, recently started with the group.

“It’s something I can do to give back to the community,” he said about why he joined.

 He is a business owner and homeowner, so has a personal interest in wanting to help reduce crime in the area.

 About 15 volunteers took part in Friday’s patrol, close to the full complement of members.

Each team drives around looking for suspicious activity. If they notice anything, they report it to the RCMP. They do not personally get involved in trying to stop or prevent crime from happening though.

“It’s all about situational awareness,” Darryl added. “That means I won’t put myself in a position where I’ll be in danger.”

It is just past midnight now. We stop by the local Chamber of Commerce building in North Battleford to ensure the doors are properly locked.

Then, we drive to the industrial area in Battleford. It is all quiet. We have nothing to report from our observations, but with more volunteers covering different parts of the community there is a good chance if there is any criminal activity someone will see something and call it in.

Darryl is concerned about what are known as “Car Shoppers” – people who walk around late at night and early in the morning checking to see if anyone has left their car door unlocked. If they find an unlocked door, they open it, and look for valuables.   

As the drive continues, the group keeps an eye out for graffiti. Darryl said it could indicate if there is any gang activity in an area.

One of Darryl’s fellow volunteers, Don Salie has been with the group for roughly 20 years.

“I was on city council, and one of the areas I worked quite a bit with would be youth problems,” he said. “Consequently, there was a lot of contact with the RCMP and this group got started. It sounded like something that would be helpful in controlling crime. That’s why I got involved.”

When asked why he stayed with the group so long, he said with a chuckle: “I couldn’t remember how to spell ‘No.’”

“We have been working with youth and trying to help youth to fit better into the community, and keep them out of trouble,” Salie said. “It’s a worthwhile thing for us to be doing. It’s the old story. You can either sit there, and complain about it, or you can get out and do something about it. We decided it’s better to do something.”

There are signs on the highways leading to the Battlefords area indicating Citizens on Patrol is active here, which may help as a deterrent to potential criminals.

Citizens on Patrol members travel in groups of two, with one driving while the other performs surveillance and takes notes. Traveling as a duo also helps provide added safety.

Members can also now use a new computer application to track their route for their shift, as well as to identify locations where they notice occurrences of vandalism and graffiti.

North Battleford RCMP Cpl. Ben Comley and Const. Greg Hugo, who are both part of the RCMP Crime Reduction Unit for the province, work with the local Citizens on Patrol volunteers.

Anyone who wants to volunteer with the Citizens on Patrol can contact Hugo, the program coordinator. 

“It’s rapidly growing,” Comley said. The local program has been in place since the 1990s.

“Const. Hugo is very passionate about the program,” Comley added. “With [new] technology and community involvement, it’s becoming a viable crime reduction strategy.”

Comley said police were able to investigate reports of four suspicious vehicles from the Citizens on Patrol efforts last Friday night alone. 

“I do feel that community involvement is paramount in public safety, and that community involvement assisting the police is also paramount in community safety,” Comley said. “It is a program we feel there is a lot of benefit to.”

Volunteers usually go out on patrol about once a month for three to four hours on a shift, either in the night time or during the day, whatever they prefer.  They start their shift by signing in at the North Battleford RCMP detachment office.

Herb Sutton, the North Battleford community safety coordinator, acts as a liaison between the local Citizens on Patrol volunteer group and the City of North Battleford, which helps in processing volunteer applications. 

“I’m encouraged by the fact we have people who are willing to be able to be additional eyes and ears,” Sutton said. “The police are not able to be everywhere at all times. It’s important that members of the community take some responsibility, and if they see things that are suspicious, then they need to report that. You don’t necessarily have to be a Citizen on Patrol to do that. I think it applies to all citizens.”  

 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW