Do you want to help make your community safer?
The Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) in Ponoka is looking for new members.
President Kelly Budd says the current version of the program started up in 2016. She notes they had 24 members before the pandemic but are now down to about a dozen.
"We don't physically get involved but just driving around at night and you see the people out there, they see us out there, they take off and there's usually no issues for that part of the evening. If they know we're going to be out there they might just leave town and find another town to go to," she remarked.
Those interested in applying must pass a criminal record check and possess a valid driver's licence and vehicle. Budd notes members always travel in pairs and must follow bylaws and protocol guidelines. Members have the option to choose their preferred hours of patrol but must be with a partner at all times. Budd says they use an app that keeps track of their mileage and hours. The app also contains a map feature which allows members to document incident locations.
While on patrol, members are required to remain within town limits and must never get out of the vehicle. Each member is asked to patrol three to four hours per month, which equates to about 50 km.
Budd mentioned that COPP works hand-in-hand with the local RCMP detachment, providing officers with information that might not otherwise be obtained.
"In my area where I live in the residential area we have a lot of single parents or a lot of elderly people, so when they witness something, a lot of people don't call it in," she explained. "They'll put it on Facebook, they'll complain about it, be Facebook warriors but nobody actually calls in."
Many residents will contact COPP before the RCMP, mainly due to a fear of retaliation or backlash.
Budd says their goal is to have members patrolling seven days a week. Right now, there is only one patrol per week.
The goals of COPP include:
Deterrence - including observation, documentation and reporting to provide presence in the community patrolling by vehicle, foot, bicycle, etc.
Education - of volunteers about crime prevention
Awareness - of suspicious and dangerous unusual activities in a community
Safety - of members
If you are interested in joining Citizens on Patrol in Ponoka, you can contact Kelly Budd at 403-704-3194 or visit the Ponoka RCMP detachment.