Olds COP can't cover Bowden: spokesperson

A spokesperson for the Olds and District Citizens On Patrol (COP), sympathizes with Bowden mayor Robb Stuart's concern about crime in that community.

However, Olds COP public relations person Phyllis Horpenuk says the Olds organization can't cover Bowden; nor can it spare the time and effort to help set up a Bowden chapter, there are proper channels for that.

During a year-end interview with the Albertan, Stuart said cutting the crime rate in Bowden is a high priority for him this year. In order to help do that, he said he'd like to see COP in Bowden, hopefully with help from the Olds chapter. If not, he said a separate Bowden chapter would have to be created.

But Horpenuk told the Albertan the Olds COP simply can't spare the members to help.

She noted the Olds chapter, instigated last fall, is still in its infancy. Members are still being trained to enable them to go out on patrol.

"It's too big of an area, so we had to focus only on Olds," Horpenuk said.

"We just couldn't do Bowden. There's just no way. We did the south part of the highway and Netook and a little bit of the industrial area by the 7-Eleven, and it took over two hours. So it's a big job for a patrol.

"If we have two patrols going, we can do the whole town, but we could never get up to Bowden; they'd have to form their own group."

She said Bowden residents interested in setting up their own COP chapter should contact the Alberta Citizens On Patrol Association, the provincial body in Edmonton, and go from there.

During the year-end interview, Stuart had also expressed concern there may not be enough interest to start up COP in Bowden.

He said he'd heard that about 50 people indicated interest in joining COP but only three people actually signed up.

Horpenuk thought he was talking about Olds residents. She said the Olds COP has 54 members, 24 of whom have received training so far. Nine are members of the board. However, Stuart's statement refers to Bowden and area residents.