Citizens on Patrol Okotoks is looking to bolster its numbers to better address local crime.
The crime prevention group, which has been around since 2016, consists of volunteers who work in cooperation with the RCMP to inform them of any criminal activity they come across.
Their membership has been waning recently, however, and they currently stand at just four members.
Volunteers with the group go out on patrols in pairs whenever they're able, ideally for a few hours at a time in the evening.
"We patrol the whole town but look for hotspots. Generally, the RCMP gives us a few hints as to some of the areas that do need patrolling more than others," explains Al Wiebe, the interim president of Citizens on Patrol Okotoks.
According to Wiebe, vandalism is always an area of concern.
Incidences of graffiti saw a particularly sharp rise in 2022, with 53 incidents between January and July.
"A bit of a hotspot is the mall around the Walmart and Canadian Tire, up in that area. There's been a bit of vandalism around there. Quite a bit of the incidents we and the RCMP see are after midnight," says Wiebe.
The Okotoks RCMP reported two such incidents in that area in the same week last summer. One evening in June, vandals threw rocks at vehicles and slashed tires in the Cimarron area, and a few nights later, the windows at Quiznos Subs and the BarBurrito were broken by thrown rocks.
For anyone concerned about potential safety risks, Wiebe assures that members do not confront potential suspects.
"We are the non-confrontational side. We don't engage when we're out on patrol. The only time we don't engage is if we're doing a public event of any sort. We leave all the engaging to the RCMP."
They meet once a month and are currently conducting their meetings at the Okotoks RCMP detachment. Contact information for the Okotoks branch can be found on the Alberta Citizens on Patrol website.