BATTLEFORDS — Battlefords Citizens on Patrol is continuing to see a healthy interest from residents wanting to join the volunteer group.
Chairperson Doug Fehr said the group currently has 44 members. That's up from 37 members at the same time last year.
He said the group has maintained continuous promotion on social media and also participated in various events, such as the bike rodeo and a barbecue with the RCMP last spring, which helped boost numbers.
"All of those opportunities give us a chance to speak to potential volunteers," Fehr said.
Members take part in a variety of patrols to suit their schedules.
"A large percentage of the patrols that we do are in the evening or early morning," Fehr said. "Some people like going out at one, two or three in the morning for two, three or four hours. Others are more amenable to, say, eight o'clock to midnight."
"We have to keep in mind that about half of our volunteers, maybe even two-thirds, are working full time or part time," he added. "So, for those folks, a very early morning patrol or very late night patrol aren't the most suitable for their lifestyle."
Fehr mentioned that Battlefords Citizens on Patrol has increased the number of afternoon patrols to better accommodate volunteers.
"There's crime that happens 24-seven," he said. "So afternoon patrols are certainly very welcomed."
When the group's volunteers are out on patrol, they are watching for a number of things.
"Every patrol is a little different," Fehr said. "But the most common things we're looking for are people attempting break-ins to property or to vehicles. [And] impaired drivers, be it alcohol or drugs."
Citizens on Patrol volunteers also look out for vulnerable people.
"In this kind of weather, there may be some vulnerable people that are struggling," Fehr said. "So we engage the RCMP or the CSOs [community safety officers]."
Sometimes volunteers encounter fires at a property, in which case they call 9-1-1.
"We look for anything that's beyond the normal, which might indicate something suspicious is going on," Fehr said.
He said Battlefords Citizens on Patrol serves as an extra set of eyes and ears in the community.
"It's part of a multi-faceted approach to crime prevention," Fehr said. "The RCMP are the front line on policing. But anytime that we can add an additional set of eyes and ears, be it Citizens on Patrol or an individual citizen that sees something going on on the street or outside their property, if people see something suspicious going on they should call it in. If it's urgent, it's 9-1-1. If it's less urgent, it would be 310-RCMP."
