Volunteers with Vernon's Safe Community Unit logged thousands of hours in 2023

Photo: Castanet file photo

It was a busy year for Vernon's Safe Community Unit.

At its regular meeting Monday, city council will be presented with a report about what the unit and its volunteers did in 2023.

Community Safety Office RCMP volunteers donated 1,900 hours, handled 431 phone calls and tended to 3,722 community members that came into the office for crime prevention and community information, programs and education, and returning police information checks.

Volunteers participated in a variety of events throughout the community, including the John Minguy Memorial RCMP Youth Academy, seniors fair and children’s festival, bike rodeos and Emergency Services Day.

Volunteers also registered bikes on Garage 529 and requests for educational workshops from schools, social service providers, businesses and citizen groups began in January.

“Programs such as, frauds, cons and scams, bike, internet and personal safety were in demand,” the report states.

The Folks on Spokes Green Team and Ambassador programs were active from April to October.

“The positive feedback from the community regarding Folks on Spokes continues to support the importance and value of the program. The Anti-Tag Team (ATT) identified and documented unwanted graffiti and tagging vandalism throughout the City of Vernon from the end of May to Aug. 18.”

Anti-Tag Team duties included communicating with property owners and as a courtesy, the tenants, with the goal of having the property remediated.

In 2023, Crime Prevention RCMP volunteers provided 3,510 hours of service supporting regular and special operations. Regular operations included community safety patrols, speed watch operations, cell watch operations, marine vessel pre-safety checks and invasive mussel operations, and Lock Out Auto Crime Operations.

To read the full report, click here.