A St. Albert crime-fighting group says it might have to close its doors within a year if it can’t find more volunteers to watch the streets.
Glenn Tkachuk of the Neighbourhood Watch Association of St. Albert spoke to the Gazette earlier this month about his group’s struggle to find new volunteers.
Established in 1983, the St. Albert Neighbourhood Watch sees volunteers work with police to promote crime prevention initiatives and spot and report potential crimes.
“The problem right now is we’re getting old,” said Tkachuk, who at 69 was likely the group’s youngest member.
Tkachuk said the group has just six active members right now, most of whom were at most a year or two away from having to step down due to their age. The group would probably last until December, but anything beyond that was doubtful.
“We need new blood, and unless we do get it, Neighbourhood Watch will fold.”
Simple yet important
Unlike Citizens On Patrol, which is also active in St. Albert, Tkachuk said Neighbourhood Watch doesn’t patrol streets in search of potential crimes. Instead, it encourages volunteers to report suspicious activities to the police if they spot them.
“All we’re asking is for people to keep their eyes open,” Tkachuk said.
Tkachuk said the group also provides food for block parties, promotes the RCMP’s public safety campaigns, distributes tamper-proof license plate screws, and fundraises for the St. Albert Food Bank and St. Albert Victim Services. Members meet anywhere from once a month to once a year.
Tkachuk said Neighbourhood Watch has previously relied on word-of-mouth to find volunteers but was actively recruiting this year due to its aging membership.
Neighbourhood Watch helps the St. Albert RCMP promote crime prevention tips such as the 9PM Routine (which encourages people to close and lock doors, windows, and fences every 9 p.m.), said Cst. Trung Tran, who works closely with the group.
“If we don’t have them, that’s one less education piece.”
Visit enwatch.ca/partners or email [email protected] for details on Neighbourhood Watch.
