Police officers do what they can to curb crime with the resources available to them.
However, there is only so much they can reasonably be expected to do.
While the RCMP has programs that track repeat offenders, members simply cannot be everywhere keeping their eyes peeled on every potential criminal at all times.
Above and beyond pursuing investigative strategies such as gathering physical evidence to piece together pieces of a puzzle, police typically also largely depend on detailed information provided by attentive residents.
The better the relationship between a police department and the community it serves, the more success officers are likely to have busting a case wide open. After all, reconstructing a timeline of events becomes far less arduous when people are more willing to approach police with witness statements.
Organizations such as Citizens on Patrol serve to fill that communication gap by actively providing an additional set of eyes and ears for the police. The notes they take might well be the difference between a criminal being convicted or walking free.
Local volunteers who have for about a year been working to revive the Sundre Citizens on Patrol Association, which was last active in the 1990s, felt compelled to contribute any way they could to help curb criminal activity in the community and surrounding area — especially in light of police statistics that indicate a substantial increase in property crimes following the crash of the price of oil in 2015.
Several members have successfully completed first aid as well as Citizens on Patrol training and an evaluation ride along with an officer, and recently began hitting the streets.
“People need to start realizing that together, if we really work together, we can make this happen — we can reduce crime in this area,” said Ruby Edwards, the association’s secretary.
“Sundre is a wonderful community, and we need your help to keep it that way,” she said, adding residents who might want to apply to join need only drop by the local detachment during regular hours to fill out the required forms.
“We need to stand shoulder to shoulder as comrades do,” she said, adding strong community collaboration is key to curbing crime in the area.
We couldn’t agree more, and encourage anyone who is even remotely inclined to consider attending the organization’s upcoming annual general meeting, scheduled for Sept. 25 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the town office.
— Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor
