On Dec. 14, Citizens on Patrol (COP) hosted a meeting to establish a board, in hopes of getting the program off the ground soon.
“We came to learn quite quickly that things have changed as far as Citizens on Patrol goes, Citizens on Patrol when it started here 25 or so years ago was quite an informal organization,” explained COP chair Lorne Benson. “In order to comply with current legislation, we now have to operate as a society.”
Benson explained this transition has been a complex process. To comply with the Societies Act of B.C., the group was required to elect a chair, vice-chair, treasurer, secretary, and patrol director. COP also had to adopt a new liability policy, take increased financial measures and adopt bylaws.
“We’ve done quite a bit of work in the background in order to be able to pull this together and make it happen,” said Benson.
At the Dec. 14 meeting, attendees elected Benson as chair, Corri Oliarny as vice-chair, Sharon Eastabrook as treasurer, and John McEwen as patrol director. The group is still looking for someone to fulfill the role of secretary.
For the program to run optimally, approximately 40 volunteers are required. Volunteers will have to complete one shift a month, which will be a minimum of two hours.
“It’ll be a continuous process of recruiting volunteers as people express interest and it’ll be much easier and more seamless as time passes,” explained Benson.
Volunteers will work closely with RCMP, patrolling areas RCMP have designated as “hot spots.” The volunteers will be organized into teams, with a team captain.
To be accepted into the program, volunteers will need to pass an interview and criminal record check. A valid driver’s license is required for those volunteers who will drive the COP vehicle.
Shifts vary, but are typically scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights, during which volunteers will drive around the hot spots in a marked vehicle.
“As we bring new people in, we can have them ride along with people who have experience. While you’re driving around in a vehicle for a couple of hours with somebody who’s experienced, you’ll learn a lot,” said Benson.
COP patrollers are expected to be eyes and ears only and not try to intervene if they witness a crime in progress, but rather alert the proper authorities.
Regular meetings will occur once a month, with the next meeting tentatively scheduled for sometime in January.
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