Safe Communities Programs

Speedwatch
This group of volunteers dedicate their time operating a radar and speed display setting up in school zones and areas where speeding vehicles have been observed. This is an awareness program designed to clearly show the speeds of vehicles as they travel the community streets. This program has been sponsored by the Safe Communities Unit in partnership with ICBC. The Vernon and District Speed Watch volunteers for 2006 donated 398 hours and checked 61,763 vehicles…. That’s from the end of March to the end of October – 7 months. Since its inception in 1998 they have donated over 1800 hours and checked in excess of 398,000 vehicles.

Crime Stoppers
This program's goal is to combat crime through the cooperative efforts of the police, the media, and residents of our community. People with information can contact the Crime Stoppers tip line at 549-TIPS (8477) and remain completely anonymous. Crime Stoppers will pay cash rewards to any person whose information leads to an arrest, recovery of stolen property, or the seizure of drugs. The Crime Stoppers board, composed of community volunteers, establish policy, raise funds, and oversee award payments. Unsolved crimes are featured with assistance of the local media and, in some cases, will include a re-enactment which would be aired on TV. Crime Stoppers is supported by donations from individuals, companies, service groups, and organized fund raising activities.

Citizens On Patrol (COPs)
COPs serves as additional helpers in solving crimes for the Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP detachment.
For the past 19 years, Citizens On Patrol volunteers have been patrolling the city and surrounding areas.  They are the extra eyes and ears for the local detachment.
In 2011, the 46 volunteer COPs members helped recover 35 stolen vehicles, and checked nearly 38,000 licence plates by hooking into an ICBC website to see if a vehicle had been stolen.
COPs personnel assisted RCMP to make 11 arrests and put in 4,314 volunteer hours. They worked 298 patrol shifts as well as 147 Speed Watch shifts, and patrolled more than 30,000 kilometres.
The age of the current volunteers range from 19 to 76.


Dedicated community volunteers from Vernon, BX, Coldstream, and Lavington who act as "eyes and ears" only using their own vehicles to patrol their respective communities. They are asked to work one 5 hour shift per month starting at 10:00pm through to 3:00am. They are equipped with cell phones, police scanners, and UHF radios. Fuel costs are paid through the Safe Communities Unit and solely supported through funding provided from the City of Vernon. The Vernon and District Citizens on Patrol program volunteers have donated 4180 hours for 2006 and drove 38,590 km during their patrols. Since their start in 1992 the Citizens on Patrol Program volunteers have donated over 60,080 hours on patrol and driven in excess of 512,000 km.

Business Block Captain Program

The City of Vernon RCMP Safe Communities Unit (SCU), in partnership with the Downtown Vernon Association (DVA) and the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce (GVCC) has operated the Block Captain Program for the last 5 years. The program informs the business community about matters, or criminal activities, that are reported to the police that may have a bearing on public safety and security of persons and/or businesses in their neighbourhoods. Information bulletins taken from police reports are generated by the Business and Seniors programs coordinator of the SCU and are sent to the DVA & GVCC who then distribute the info to their memberships.

CITY OF VERNON RCMP SAFE COMMUNITIES UNIT PROGRAMS

  • City of Vernon Community Policing Office
  • Citizens on Patrol
  • Speed Watch
  • Block Watch
  • North Okanagan and Shushwap Crimestoppers
  • Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
  • Community Response Network Advisory Committee on Elder Abuse
  • Restorative Justice Advisory Committee
  • Meth Awareness Steering Committee
  • Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee
  • Emergency Planning Group
  • Falls Prevention Steering Committee
  • Volunteer Coordinator’s Steering Committee
  • Partners In Action
  • Suicide Prevention Steering Committee
  • General Safety presentations
  • Personal Safety presentations
  • Frauds, Cons and Scams prevention
  • Counterfeit detection and prevention program
  • Shoplifting detection and prevention program (Operation Boost)
  • Armed Robbery prevention
  • Stay Alert – Stay Safe Program
  • Eddie the Eagle Program
  • Hug a Tree Program
  • Workplace safety Program
  • Residential security audits
  • Business security audits
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Program
  • Safety for Developmentally Challenged
  • Auto Crime prevention program
  • Block Captain program
  • Property Reference program
  • Ski Watch program
  • Operation Cats Paw… Pawnshop program
  • Harm Reduction Action Team
  • The W.I.T.S program
  • Gateway Neighbourhood Advirsory Council
  • River Watch