Crime Prevention

In conjunction with the District of Summerland RCMP detachment, the District supports the following programs in an effort to reduce and prevent crime in the community.

Citizens on Patrol

The District of Summerland RCMP operates a "Citizens on Patrol" program in local neighbourhoods. The program uses volunteers to monitor areas where the community is requesting more patrolling and where history shows crime to be likely to occur.

Volunteers are paired up, given a combination cell phone/radio and will patrol in their own vehicles looking for any criminal activity, with the goal of observing and reporting crime in progress. The volunteers receive training on what to look for, particularly implicit signs that a crime may be about to occur such as persons acting suspiciously.

The decision to start this program in Summerland was prompted by the success of similar programs in other communities and is part of the way the RCMP is expanding its level of service through the use of volunteers.

Volunteering with Citizens on Patrol

To be eligible, volunteers must be nineteen years of age or older, be of good character, and be able to pass the security screening required by the RCMP. Volunteers must commit to a minimum number of patrols as designated by the program and will be expected to attend training sessions and meetings as required.

Patrols are usually carried out on Friday and Saturday nights. Some areas have daytime patrols and still others may go out more frequently, dependent on volunteer availability. Some volunteers are trained in Traffic Direction and Control. Duties and involvement will differ from area to area.

To assist, contact the community policing section at 250-494-7416.

Block Watch Program

Block Watch is all about neighbours helping neighbours. Operated by the local RCMP of the District of Summerland, Block Watch is a free crime prevention program that makes safety the number one priority for you, your home and your community.

The force behind the success of Block Watch is you. Participants of the program watch out for each other's homes and report suspicious activity to the police and one another to reduce the likelihood of residential crime. Aided by a map of names, addresses and telephone numbers, each block of households, apartments and condominiums form a communication chain. This vital link becomes the mouthpiece for your neighbourhood, sending a message to would-be criminals that they are not welcome.

How do I Start a Block Watch in My Neighbourhood?

Block Watch requires the participation of two or more members of your block, apartment building or condominium to act as Block Captain and Co-Captain. Once selected, they must attend an evening training session at the RCMP detachment where they will receive a criminal record check application form.

Their next step is to hold a meeting of interested neighbours to explain the program. All that remains is to make a block map, which is submitted to assign your neighbourhood a block number. The District will then install a Block Watch sign on your block and participants will receive decals for doors and windows, indicating that property within have been marked for identification.

Crime Stoppers

South Okanagan Similkameen Crime Stoppers is a not for profit community organization managed by a volunteer board of directors. They partner with law enforcement and the media to solicit and reward anonymous tips that prevent, stop and solve crimes.

Visit the Crime Stoppers website for more information, mugshots, unsolved crimes, crime prevention, and ways to anonymously submit tips.

Road Safety Vision 2010

The RCMP's Traffic Services in British Columbia have made what is likely to be one of the biggest commitments of its history. They have agreed to be held accountable for meeting the goals of Road Safety Vision 2010.

The plan was adopted by the Council of Ministers of Transportation and Highway Safety in 1996, and sets the ambitious goal of making Canada's roads the safest in the world.

The national target calls for a 30% decrease in the average number of road users killed and seriously injured during the 2008-2010 period over comparable 1996-2001 figures.

Drugs & Organized Crime Awareness Service

In 2005, the Federal and International Operations Directorate, both Drug Branch and Organized Crime Branch, aligned their awareness services forming the Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness Service (DOCAS).

Mission Statement

The RCMP Drugs & Organized Crime Awareness Service (DOCAS) is committed through partnerships in making communities safer and healthier by providing all Canadians with the tools needed to meaningfully reduce substance use/abuse and organized crime related problems.

DOCAS is committed by:

• Engaging communities by promoting the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices in providing Canadians with the skills and information needed to make educated and informed decisions.
• Providing leadership through the coordination of drug awareness and prevention programs/initiatives that support supply and demand reduction.
• Improving Canadians’ understanding of the reach and influence of organized crime and its impacts on individuals and society as a whole.
• Mobilizing the Canadian public to become a significant partner of Canadian law enforcement to effectively combat and reduce the influence of organized crime in Canada.

Awareness: Drugs and Organized Crime

You might think that as a law-abiding citizen, drugs and organized crime have no effect on your life. But, sadly, they do; drugs and organized crime affect individuals both directly and indirectly in the communities we serve, every single day.

Drug abuse of any kind is a serious health and social problem harming individuals, relationships and families, often irreparably. It’s estimated to cost the Canadian economy billions of dollars each year in lost productivity, law enforcement and health care costs. The criminality and violence that surrounds illicit drug use poses a threat to the safety of our communities.

Drugs fuel organized crime, which is defined is any group of three or more people engaged in criminal activity where the primary motive is profit.While many still imagine that organized crime pertains only to things like motorcycle gangs and the mafia, it can be found in nearly every crime imaginable, including counterfeiting, cigarette smuggling, human trafficking, credit and bank card fraud, and the exploitation of children on the internet, to name but a few. The public pays for these crimes through increased taxes and higher prices on essential goods and services, and through a diminished sense of safety and security in their homes and communities, (and, of course, some pay directly as victims of crime).

What We Do

The RCMP believes in an approach that includes prevention and awareness. Through this, we can help to stop drug use before it starts; protect individuals from becoming victims of crime; and to teach the public how to recognize (and report) crime themselves.

With representatives across Canada, DOCAS works collectively to create awareness materials and programs aimed at different segments of the population in different geographical areas. DOCAS also works in partnership with all levels of government, non-governmental agencies, other police agencies, private organizations and other community groups to provide pro-active initiatives in our communities.

How can I help?

• Be informed. Protect yourself by learning about the dangers of illicit drugs and how to avoid becoming a victim of organized crime.
• Be alert. You can play an important role in keeping your community safe by sharing any information on illicit activity with law enforcement agencies.
• Be involved. DOCAS relies on volunteers and public assistance to help deliver some of their programs. For more information, contact your local RCMP detachment.