Crime prevention program delayed to gauge interest

Those interested in a Citizens on Patrol (COP) program in Jasper will tentatively reconvene in the fall to give organizers time to re-evaluate interest, following low turnout at the program’s maiden meeting on July 30.

Const. Erica Laird, who’s heading up the program, said it needs between five and 10 people to volunteer and serve on the COP board.

Two residents attended the Wednesday evening information session at the Emergency Services building.

It was suggested at the meeting that bar owners could be approached to promote the program by encouraging at least one staff member from each establishment to volunteer, or that the program could be regarded as a way for people to complete community service requirements.

Also in attendance was Const. Roy Kennedy, who said it’s worth a try to get the program started. “I think what we do is wait until September, when things slow down and people have time to breathe,” he said.

Laird said despite the town’s usual population drop over the colder months, beginning the program in the fall might be a good way to prepare for next year. “If we get a base going, it would be a smoother transition to the summer,” she said.

Kennedy said the RCMP could use COP reports to focus nighttime patrols as well as back up requests for areas such as funding.

Const. Scott Hagarty of the Grand Prairie RCMP detachment said Grand Prairie’s program has had a fluctuating group of about 20 volunteers for the dozen or so years it’s been running. “I think it’s just if people choose to get involved in their community, and that’s what we have here,” he said. “You have to walk the talk, instead of just complaining.”

Though Grand Prairie’s population is 52,000, more than 11 times the size of Jasper, Hagarty said Sexsmith has just begun its own COP initiative. Sexsmith is just north of Grand Prairie and has a population less than 2,000.

Hagary said a specific example of how COP assist police is when an office apprehends an intoxicated driver. A volunteer can wait with the vehicle for a tow truck instead of the officer. “That’s so the officer doesn’t have to wait around,” Hagarty said. “It frees up members’ times.”

Jasper may have a difficult time attracting seasonal employees to volunteer, Hagarty said. “It’s a challenge of getting those transient people connected to the community,” he said. “But it’s been proven that in a a community that feels connected, crime goes down.”

Another hurdle for COP is funding, particularly because citizens are expected to use a vehicle to patrol. “They’re already volunteering their time, we don’t want them having to take money out of their own pocket,” Hagarty said.

A van was donated for Grand Prairie’s program, and fuel and insurance are funded in part by the city, the detachment, and donations. If Jasper starts a COP initiative, volunteers might be compensated for gas through fundraising, said Laird.

Hagarty said all in all, COP in Grand Prairie is a success because it not only benefits the police and the town, but the volunteers as well.

“It allows them to feel they’re giving back to the community,” he said. “They get that connection.”

COP could assist the Jasper RCMP, Kennedy said. “The first step in any enforcement is presence,” he said. “We do have the systems to enforce, but COP would enhance that.”

Kennedy added he and Laird weren’t disappointed by the turnout. “We understand it’s the summer,” he said. “And we appreciate the people who did come.”

COP volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, be willing to submit to a criminal record check, and have a valid driver’s license. Those interested may contact Laird at 852-4421. The next meeting will be scheduled and announced at a later date.