Here is a press release from the Vancouver Police Department:
On Friday, February 4, 2011 citizen patrollers from the Vancouver Police Neighbors on Watch (NOW) program will be conducting another ‘saturation patrol’ beginning at approximately 5:00 p.m.. NOW volunteers work in teams of two, with the third volunteer working a coordinated radio base station. These ‘saturation patrols’ occur regularly and involve dozens of NOW teams coordinating their crime watch efforts approximately one night per month to provide maximum coverage and exposure for crime prevention throughout Vancouver. In addition to the monthly saturation patrols, NOW teams work almost daily in various areas throughout Vancouver.
One NOW team working tomorrow night will be utilizing the Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR), which scans license plates for vehicles that are reported stolen. NOW volunteers using this tool have successfully located many stolen vehicles while on volunteer patrol. In addition, NOW teams will be looking for auto prowls and other types of observable crime. The volunteers will be targeting a variety of locations including residential neighborhoods, commercial parking lots, parks and other areas where property and other types of crimes often occur.
NOW volunteers must complete a training academy put on by the Vancouver Police Department and after graduation NOW volunteers act as extra sets of eyes and ears in the community to report and deter crime through observation. The next NOW training academy is currently accepting applicants interested in the April training. Visit the Vancouver Police Department website at www.vanpolice.org for more information on how to get involved.
