Yorkton's Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) is reaching out to the community for volunteers.
The group is down to about 35 members and looking to "vastly increase" the number of citizens involved.
"Our group is tending to get older, and it's the same people doing the same thing over and over," says W, COPP's president.
Members of COPP prefer to remain anonymous to avoid retribution from the criminals they report.
Yorkton's group has been considered one of the most successful Citizens on Patrol Programs in the province since its founding in 1996.
"What we wanted to do was help, participate, and communicate with the local authorities just to try and make Yorkton a better, safer place: not only for us, but for the younger families, for the new people coming to Yorkton," explains J, one of the group's founding members.
In their nightly patrols of the city, COPP members have reported in-progress break & enters, vandalism, assaults, and impaired driving. They have helped located stolen vehicles and even missing people.
But dwindling membership numbers have made this job more difficult. Patrols are down from six or seven nights a week to three.
The commitment COPP asks from its members is about two nights a month. Vehicles, equipment, and fuel are provided by the organization through sponsorship by the City of Yorkton, SGI, and a few private donors.
Members patrol the streets and back alleys of Yorkton in the group's three cars, reporting any suspicious activity through a direct radio line to the RCMP. Police will sometimes provide descriptions of stolen vehicles, wanted individuals, or missing people to watch out for.
"There's no such thing as a typical night," says W. "Some nights you can have all kinds of activity going on: assaults, break & enters, vandalism, thefts. And the next ten nights you'll have absolutely nothing going on."
Occasionally, the police may ask COPP to assist with traffic control at the scene of an accident or fire, or to help hold a perimeter.
The group also offers extra patrols of homes whose residents are away on vacation. This service can be requested through a form at City Hall or at the Yorkton City RCMP Detachment.
Participants in COPP must pass a criminal record check.
COPP is particularly looking for younger members. In the past, some youths have joined the group to add valuable volunteer time to their resumes. Some have used the experience as a gateway into police work.
That's not the only personal benefit, says J.
"It just makes us feel better as citizens to participate in cleaning up where it needs cleaning up."
COPP can be joined by calling 782-3197.
