The Sidney/North Saanich RCMP is on the lookout for citizens interested in doing their part to keep the community they love safe.
Cpl. Andres Sanchez said both the Speed Watch and Citizens on Patrol programs were put on pause during the pandemic over public health concerns, but now the detachment is seeking volunteers to fill the ranks and get back out into the community.
“We had quite a healthy group of volunteers prior to COVID, but since the shutdowns happened, it’s been a bit of an uphill battle trying to rebuild our volunteers,” said Sanchez. “We are happy to take as many as we can get, but ideally I would like to see at least a dozen people both on our Speed Watch and Citizens on Patrol.”
Sanchez said the Speed Watch program is run in partnership with ICBC and sees volunteers post up in areas of the community known for speeders or high crash rates, as well as school zones and other areas with reduced 30 km/h speed limits, equipped with radar speed signs and other equipment.
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While the volunteers do not conduct any enforcement of traffic laws, they serve as a visible reminder for motorists, and more importantly, record information on what they see for the detachment’s officers.
That information often finds its way to the relevant municipality’s engineering department and helps to inform of the need for traffic calming measures like speed bumps, or areas where speed limits could be reduced further to enhance safety.
The Citizens on Patrol program is similar, though less focused on traffic safety. Sanchez said these volunteers patrol the community looking out for suspicious people and activity to report to on-duty officers.
He said the program has been particularly effective at reducing property crime and identifying problem areas that were otherwise unknown.
“We can’t be everywhere all the time, so we do rely on community members to provide us with information,” said Sanchez. “They provide eyes and ears for the police.”
Anyone over the age of 18 is able to apply for either or both programs, and Sanchez said most volunteer for a couple days each week, but the hours are generally flexible. Applicants must pass a background check in order to join the programs, and all training and equipment is provided.
Anyone interested in volunteering for either program is encouraged to contact volunteer manager Jim Shepherd at 250-655-9224, or the detachment’s main line at 250-656-3931 and ask to speak with the Community Policing Section.
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