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Citizens on patrol group form executive

Citizens on Patrol in Rimbey moves closer to reality
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The Citizens on Patrol Group in Rimbey is moving ahead, one step at a time.

Last week close to a hundred people attended a meeting and, at that time, an executive was formed.

Brian Godlonton has agreed to head the committee as chairman. The vice president is Mirian Dudenhoeffer and the treasurer is Wendy Curtis. Al Lewis is the secretary.

Lori Lewis will be in charge of membership and Ashley Balan and Allan Tarleton will look after scheduling.

Directors are Janet Burghardt, Kim Blondin and Pauline Scott.

Godlonton said he was pleased with the interest shown, but added that the group probably won’t officially be formed until February or March due to all the necessary paperwork that needs to be completed.

He said the group needs to go through the process of becoming a society and also need to put bylaws in place.

“We need to get the ‘ts’ crossed and the ‘i’s’ dotted, he said.

Even though the COP program won’t formally be put in place until early next year, the group will be keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity and notify the RCMP.

“We will be watching,” said Godlonton.

Being the eyes and ears for the RCMP is exactly what the mandate of Gull Lake North Citizens on Patrol is all about, said Irene Wegmann, secretary for the society.

Wegmann attended both town hall meetings to give those in attendance an overview of the Gull Lake North Citizens on Patrol.

Incorporated in 2003, the group has been actively conducting patrols in the Gull Lake neighborhoods of Poulsen’s Pasture, Sunnyside, Summer Village of Parkland Beach, Poulsen’s Estates, Westlake Estates, Birch Meadows and Birch Bay.

Gull Lake North Citizens on Patrol has 40 members and about 27 active members.

Wegmann said COP use their own vehicles and are self-funded. Binoculars, flashlights and safety vests are available for members.

“We patrol in the safest manner we can,” she said. “It’s all volunteer.”

Wegmann said she was encouraged by the number of people who showed up for the meetings.

“It’s encouraging. It looks promising,” she said. She noted that 50 people signed up to be drivers for COP.

As of May 2016, there were 71 active Citizens On Patrol groups in Alberta. This is an increase of 16 new COP. groups in the past year. As well, there are 7 more communities who have expressed an interest in organizing a C.O.P. program. Since January 2016, over 100 people have joined ACOPA. IN 2015, 292 people joined ACOPA and in 2014, there were 196 new members in the COP program.

An increase in the number of break and enters, theft of vehicles, and theft from vehicles seems to be what is causing the interest in the COP program. Whatever the reason, Alberta Citizens On Patrol Association (ACOPA) has been busy assisting new groups get started and welcomes having so many new groups in communities where citizens are concerned about the criminal activity in their area.

COP members in Alberta are required by the RCMP to have a Criminal Record Check completed every year.