SUNDRE - Police officers, while crucial in tackling crime, are just one part of a larger equation that requires community engagement, says the president of the Sundre Citizens on Patrol Association (SCOPA).
“The police are only a part of the puzzle — an important part, but just a part,” said Jim Lank last week.
All too often, some people are quick to “complain and blame” the police in the face of increasing crime statistics, but the problem is bigger and more complicated, he said.
“The police are doing what they can,” said Lank, a retired RCMP sergeant with 30 years of experience whose last post was serving as commander of the Sundre detachment.
That extensive history in policing has provided him with insight, and Lank said he has observed a big change in crime trends over the past five or so years, especially a rise in rural crimes, and more specifically instances of property thefts and violence that are sometimes associated with such felonies.
Lank encourages anyone who shares concerns about crime and wants to help bring about positive change to consider becoming part of the solution by joining Citizens on Patrol, whose volunteers provide an additional set of eyes and ears for members of the local detachment.
“There can never be enough people out there,” he said.
“The bottom line is, the more members we have, the more we’re going to be able to patrol and be more effective as a deterrent.”
A lot of people pitching in a little of their time makes a much bigger difference, he said, adding volunteers who get involved are expected to spend a minimum of four hours patrolling a month, or more as their schedule allows.
“It’s a small commitment,” he said, adding patrollers, who go on shift in pairs, are provided with training.
Three new volunteers recently joined, and will be completing their training in the coming weeks, he said.
Members currently conduct about 10 patrols a month, give or take, each ranging in length from about four to six hours, amounting to well over 1,000 volunteer hours per year.
“We’ve seen successes in identifying suspicious activity, impaired driving, and I think folks who live and work here appreciate knowing that ordinary citizens are volunteering many hours keep our community safer,” said Const. Jared Hamilton, the Sundre RCMP detachment’s liaison.
“We’ve done a great job getting it off the ground from scratch, spreading awareness, and getting patrols done. Credit is due to everyone involved,” said Hamilton.
“I also think there is a lot of untapped potential in expanding SCOPA’s team and in developing our current membership, with exciting training opportunities and practising even more productive and visible patrols,” the constable said, expressing optimism for continued growth over the coming year.
The local association, which in 2018 officially started patrolling again after being in hiatus since the 1990s, has about two dozen members, including active patrollers and board members, said Lank, adding he hopes to see the group’s ranks grow to more than 30 in the coming year or so.
“That will enable us to serve the community better,” he said.
Determining or measuring the efficacy of the extent to which crime is deterred is difficult. But if members of the community are not out patrolling, then there certainly won’t be any impact on crime whatsoever, he said.
“I believe there is a deterrence in what SCOPA is doing.”
Describing the association as “confident, competent and professional,” Lank said he is happy with the progress made since the group was revived.
“We’ve come a long way,” he said.
“I’m certainly pleased with where we’re at now,” he added, expressing optimism that the association will not only remain sustainable but also grow even more to endure in the community for a long time.
Anyone who would like to join can drop by the Sundre RCMP detachment to fill out an application form. Police background checks are conducted, and a brief interview to determine suitability is followed by training, which includes first aid, as well as a ride-along with an officer.
Glen Fahrlander, who has called a property in the Eagle Hill area home for almost 10 years, joined last spring.
A friend of Lank’s, Fahrlander said he would often keep his eyes peeled while driving around running errands anyway — which led to helping police apprehend a couple of suspects as well as the discovery of a chop shop — and so decided to become a patroller with SCOPA.
“Up here, it’s such a high crime area,” said Fahrlander, adding he has observed over the past numbers of years an increase in incidents, including property thefts like stolen vehicles and burgled mailboxes.
“The more eyes that are out there, maybe we’ll get some of this stuff under control,” he said.
