<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Thursday, March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Citizen volunteers look to deter crime

By Bob Albrecht
Published: December 17, 2010, 12:00am

Citizen patrollers from the Vancouver Police Department’s Neighbors on Watch program will be out in full-force this evening.

It’s called a “saturation patrol,” a one-night-a-month blitz against crime.

Teams of two will be on the lookout for auto prowlers and stolen and abandoned vehicles. They’ll communicate suspicious activity to a volunteer manning a coordinated radio station.

About 10 teams of volunteers are expected to be on patrol from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. One of the teams on the road tonight will use an Automatic License Patrol Reader, which scans license plates in search of vehicles that have been reported stolen.

In addition to the monthly patrols, NOW teams work near daily throughout Vancouver. Volunteers often deploy a Skywatch tower near the Westfield Vancouver mall and hotels to deter smash-and-grabs.

In total, there are about 70 NOW volunteers. Participants join the program by completing one of several training academies held each year.

Loading...