The Citizens on Patrol Program is on the lookout for new volunteers. The group, which patrols the community to observe for the RCMP, is looking to recruit more members in order to continue serving the community.
J, who prefers to stay anonymous, is a long time member of the group. She says that their function in the community is to act as an observer, driving on the streets in the community looking for anything suspicious, and calling the police whenever they find something that needs their attention. They also function in a support role, assisting with traffic control when an accident takes place.
She says that the RCMP can’t be everywhere at once, so a program like COPP is essential to keeping an eye out in the city. Stolen vehicles have been located thanks to the program, for example, and they also keep an eye on homes of people who are away and work to curb things like vandalism and theft.
“When you’re driving, you see things you’ve never seen before. We look at different places, the police have told us to keep an eye on places where they are doing construction, for example, because there have been lumber and tools picked up.”
The cooperation with the local RCMP is a big part of what makes the program work, and J says that the relationship between the groups make the program work. She emphasizes that they never get in the way of the police, but assist to ensure they use their resources effectively.
“The police are very involved with us, we have a cell phone and police radio so they can get in contact with us, and we can get in contact with them.”
COPP has been around since 1996, and since then has grown enough to purchase their own vehicles and have support for gas from the City of Yorkton. J says that now that the program is established, it needs people to continue making it work.
Member safety is always a priority for COPP, and when they find something suspicious they quickly contact the RCMP but stay in the car and do not get involved otherwise, explains J. This is also why members will avoid giving out their actual names.
She explains that she became involved because she believes volunteering is something everyone should be doing within the community, and this is her way of giving back. Driving around the community is also relaxing, she says, and a good way to do what she can to keep Yorkton safe.
“Everybody should be volunteering, you just feel better... It’s very valuable to assist the people of Yorkton. You could be out there driving and you see someone flat on the road.”
To learn more people should call the Yorkton RCMP at (306)786-2400, Wade at (306)621-7261, Larry at (306)620-8643 or Gerry at (306)782-3564. J suggests that anyone interested should try a ride along on one of the patrols to see if joining COPP is something that they would be well suited for. Each volunteer is expected to take a patrol when they are able, with all patrols scheduled a month in advance. All volunteers must pass a criminal record check.
