Larry Boan (left) and Chris Boxall say they urgently need more volunteers to keep the Citizens on Patrol program running. The program was started in 1994 and it assists the RCMP by being the “eyes and ears” of the community. Volunteers help to deter crime, but they are not expected or allowed to get directly involved if an offence is witnessed. (Keith Lacey photo)
A community program that has assisted the RCMP in curtailing criminal activity in and around Osoyoos for almost 20 years is in dire needs of attracting more volunteers.
The Citizens on Patrol (COP) program was first established in Osoyoos back in 1994. COP is a volunteer group that reports directly to the RCMP with members volunteering their time, vehicles, energy and expertise to become the “extended eyes and ears” of the Osoyoos RCMP detachment, said longtime members Chris Boxall and Larry Boan.
“We are struggling to find new volunteers,” said Boxall, who has volunteered with COP for the past six years. “We’re down to about eight regular members and that’s just not enough to run an effective program.
“If we don’t get some new volunteers getting on board, I’m afraid we might have to fold up the program and that would be very discouraging as our group has performed a very valuable service to the community for the past 20 years.”
Boan, a retired RCMP officer, agrees the Osoyoos COP program has been a great success and can continue to provide a valuable community services once some new volunteer members get on board.
“I think we’ve played a significant role in helping reduce crime in our community,” said Boan. “But our numbers are way down and we can’t really do a great job with only a handful of volunteers.”
Anyone interested in becoming a COP volunteer is urged to attend the first meeting of 2015, set for Wednesday, April 29 beginning at 7 p.m. in Room # 1 at the Sonora Community Centre.
In this day and age, police officers simply cannot “do it all for the community” and they must have community support in making the streets safe for all local residents, said Boxall.
“Volunteers primarily assist police to deter crime and improve safe driving habits,” he said. “Volunteers who participate in COP are observers and reporters only. Patrol members are not expected or allowed to get directly involved if an offence is witnessed. Their duty is to observe and report the matter to police. It is the responsibility of the police to deal with offenders.”
This policy enables people of all ages to participate in their local COP program, he said.
“We are welcoming all volunteers, but we would really like to get some young people involved,” he said. “We particularly need young people to help out during the busy summer season when all the tourists flock to town and all the bars and pubs are very busy and we have a lot of young people getting involved in incidents after the bars close down.”
All COP volunteers receive training and they always work in pairs. They drive around town observing and reporting any potential problems to RCMP officers, said Boan.
“Teams look for unusual activities at public places, including local parks, school grounds, businesses and parking lots,” he said.
Ancillary programs like Speed Watch and a Stolen Auto Recovery program are also looking for volunteers, said Boxall.
Crashes involving speed kill or injure more people than those involving alcohol, he said.
COP members who sign up for Speed Watch, use portable radar equipment and electronic reader boards to monitor speeds in neighbourhoods, particularly near school and playground zones.
Drivers get instant feedback on their speed, which is displayed on the reader board as they pass. Experience has shown that more than 70 per cent of drivers who are travelling 10 km per hour over the speed limit will slow down when they see a speed-reader board, said Boxall.
Members report excessive speeders to police and distracted driving incidents like using cellphones and texting usage while driving are also monitored.
Volunteers with the Stolen Auto Recovery program work with police officers in cruising the streets looking for stolen vehicles. Using a laptop computer, they enter license plate numbers of vehicles in parking lots, on the street or on the move.
When a suspected stolen vehicle is spotted, they contact the RCMP to report the location and police then take appropriate action.
Volunteers who wish to get involved must be a resident of the Osoyoos area, hold a valid provincial driver’s license, must pass a suitable screening interview and complete a volunteer identification waiver to be issued an RCMP volunteer identification card.
All COP volunteers will be asked to perform at least one evening of work from the May long weekend through until the end of September, as well as the Halloween weekend.
Anyone wanting more information can attend next Wednesday’s meeting or call Boxall at 250-495-0485 or Boan at 250-495-6107.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
