The North Shore Community Policing Office is home to the RCMP Crime Prevention volunteer programs such as Speed/Cell Watch, Business Watch, 529 Garage, Community Crime Prevention, Restorative Justice, Victim Services, and Auxiliary Constable. The programs are operated through collaboration between the City of Kamloops and RCMP.
In honor of National Volunteer Week, April 24–30, 2022, we want to take the time to express our appreciation for our more than 50 crime prevention volunteers.
Our volunteers come from all different backgrounds, ages, and skill sets. Whether it is checking on speeders through a school zone, meeting with a business to discuss options for safety improvements, facilitating a forum to repair harm caused by crime, or assisting a person who has experienced trauma, they all share a common goal of helping their community.
The past two years have been difficult to connect with community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with provincial health restrictions, our dedicated team put in 4687 hours for 2021. The Speed Watch, Business Watch, Restorative Justice, Victim Services, and Auxiliary Constable programs all operated during the pandemic and contributed to these hours.
Whether you are a young adult considering a career in law enforcement; a retiree looking for a way to use your skills and experience to give back to your community; or someone who wants to help the police create safer, healthier neighbourhoods, the RCMP Crime Prevention volunteer programs have opportunities that will help you reach your goals while supporting the police in working to reduce crime and enhance public safety.
To learn more about our programs and initiatives or to volunteer, visit Kamloops.ca/CrimePrevention.
Volunteer Spotlight
Name: Aaron
Volunteering for: 5 years
Volunteers for: 529 Garage Program, Speed Watch, Cell Watch, Business Watch, Citizens on Patrol, and Restorative Justice
Meet Aaron! An Alberta native, Aaron settled down in Kamloops in 2016, moving to the City with his wife who had grown up in this city. He has a background in working with youth and vulnerable sector adults and has a passion to give back to the community. His educational background includes a undergraduate in theology with a minor in philosophy and his work experience includes a youth pastor, working with boys who had displayed sexually intrusive behaviours, and youth probation.
In 2017, Aaron joined the team of Kamloops RCMP volunteers. Since joining, he had been involved in the 529 Garage Program, Speed Watch, Cell Watch, Business Watch, Citizens on Patrol, and Restorative Justice – something he is particularly passionate about.
Name: Joanne
Volunteering for: 20 years
Volunteers for: RCMP Victim Services
Meet Joanne! She has been in Kamloops for 42 years and has been a dedicated volunteer of the RCMP Victim Services program for 20 years. Joanne worked from home and wanted to connect with people in her community, which lead her to seek out volunteer opportunities. She learned about Victim Services through news outlets that were covering a case about a Kamloops murder, and she felt the program was a cause she wanted to dedicate her time to. The ability to be proactive in addressing the impact of crime in her community helps her to feel like she makes a difference. Her favourite things about volunteering is the ability to make at least one person’s day better and knowing that she is helping others is a positive impact on her life.
Name: Parm
Volunteering for: 5 years
Volunteers for: RCMP Restorative Justice
Meet Parm! She grew up in Kamloops and returned here in 1987 after a decade in Vancouver. Her background includes working as a teacher and principal in our local school system. Parm has been a volunteer with the RCMP Restorative Justice program since 2017. She volunteers with the program as she believes in giving back to her community. She values helping others and showing kindness as it is important for a healthy community. She is a strong believer in restorative justice practices and knows the process can be a wonderful way to deal with issues in a way that can aid our justice system. Her teaching and people skills from working in schools makes her an excellent asset to our team. Her favourite part of volunteering is seeing the impact the program has on people’s lives.
Name: Ron
Volunteering for: 8 years
Volunteers for: Crime Prevention
Meet Ron! He has been in Kamloops since 2006 and has been a volunteer with Crime Prevention for eight years. He often is involved with Speed Watch but has also participated in Citizens on Patrol, Lock Out Auto Crime, and Business Watch. You may also find him at events interacting with the community as Safety Bear! Ron is a retiree who had a desire to contribute to his community and chose Crime Prevention to help keep our neighborhoods safe.
Name: Chantell
Volunteering for: 9 months
Volunteers for: Crime Prevention
Meet Chantell! She moved to Kamloops from Port Coquitlam in 2021 and has been volunteering with Crime Prevention since August 2021. She was a Crime Prevention volunteer in Port Coquitlam for two years. Chantell enjoys volunteering because of the sense of community it brings and it provides her with an outlet to help people. She chose the Crime Prevention program because she believes it is an iconic organization with deep roots in the community. She enjoys the aspects of getting out and meeting new people, including interacting with our team of volunteers.
