MD: is a Rural Crime Watch is Needed

The Municipal District of Bonnyville looks into the need for a Rural Crime Watch

At Wednesday’s regular Council Meeting, Councillors for the Municipal District (MD) of Bonnyville heard from the Director of Public Safety, Chris Garner on how a rural crime watch could be formed. Garner suggested the first steps are to discover is the community wants a crime watch and if there is a need for such an organization.

“We are in zone 4 for the Provincial Rural Crime Watch area. They promote rural crime prevention, they have a provincial agency that acts as an umbrella over the provincial zone and society status is required,” Garner explains the set up is done through the provincial association and the local police department.

Rural Crime Watch works differently than similar programs, like Citizens on Patrol, whereas Rural Crime Watch is more passive. Residents would be made aware of crime prevention and given information to help stop crime. They would also be able to call-in suspicious activity. Citizen on Patrol is more active in that residents would be driving around patrolling, looking for crime and suspicious activity.

“Zone 4 does have people established in helping get a [Rural Crime Watch] started,” Garner suggests that the MD must discover if there is a need for Rural Crime Watch and if any residents would like to move forward in developing a Zone 4 chapter.

If you are interested, please contact the Public Safety Department at 780-812-3332 or through email at publicsafety@md.bonnyville.ab.ca by November 1. Please provide the M.D. with the following information

• Your Name
• Mailing Address
• Blue Sign address
• Which rural area or community of the M.D. you reside in
• Phone Number (best one to reach you on)
• Email address