Policing advisory committee suffers identity crisis

The Olds & District Community Policing Advisory Society (ODCPAS) is going through an identity crisis.

It has asked Olds chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff to help the society figure out what its mandate and goals are and what value it offers to members.

Wagstaff attended the group's latest meeting Jan. 26. He's been tasked to talk to various groups about the society and what its goals should be. He is expected to report back during the society's next meeting March 22 in Olds town council chambers.

“We're just looking for goals to be effective in the community,” ODCPAS secretary-treasurer Judy Schlichenmayer said.

“A few years back we were the model community policing advisory committee in the province,” committee chair Joan O'Reilly said.

The society includes representatives from the Town of Olds, the Town of Bowden, Mountain View County, the RCMP, Olds College and others.

Society members note representatives of many organizations that are members seldom – if ever – attend society meetings anymore.

Some may have legitimate reasons not to attend, some committee members said. One example cited was sheriffs.

“I think it's a waste of their time (to attend ODCPAS meetings), committee member and Olds town councillor Wade Bearchell said. “I'd rather see them on the road doing some work.”

O'Reilly agreed with some other committee members who said it's especially tough to attract young people to the committee.

“I've been chairing this committee for 16 years and I've really noticed a decline in participation,” she said during an interview with the Gazette. “It's the same old thing; it's difficult to get younger people (involved).”

Young people approached to join the committee often say they don't have the time to attend such meetings.

O'Reilly doesn't buy that argument.

“I was a single mom with two kids and I still found time to volunteer in this committee,” she said.

Bearchell said there's a bright side to the fact that not every representative comes to the ODCPAS meetings. If they did, he fears the agenda of those meetings would become too long and unwieldy.

“We want them to all show up, but if everybody showed up, we've got to listen to a million different (people),” he said.

Schlichenmayer said that's why in many cases, reports were to be sent in from those people instead. She and O'Reilly agreed the purpose of the meetings was to discuss content in those reports.

Michelle Maschke said she was on the committee at one time and just recently worked with Schlichenmayer to get back on because she sees value in it. She works in asset protection for Westview Co-op.

“This community is definitely worth protecting of course, and we know our emergency service people are stretched, so how can we help as a community member?” she asked.

She said she and her general manager see the committee as a way to protect the Co-op and the community at the same time.

Committee member and Bowden councillor Wayne Milaney suggested holding seminars on topics such as how to “burglar-proof” businesses might attract businesses.

“I don't think there's any such thing as ‘burgler-proof,' but ‘get to a higher level (of security),'” Milaney said.