Hope Crime Prevention Society is calling all community-oriented individuals interested in the maintenance and prevention of crime in the area to join its extensive and widely celebrated volunteer program.
The provincial government awarded the non-profit society the Ministry of Justice Community Safety and Crime Prevention Award in 2014, which was the result of dedicated members efforts toward the preservation and sustainment of a crime free area.
As an organization that once boasted a number of 55 members, enrollment is down and other members have retired, or are near exiting the program, according to crime prevention enthusiast and long standing community volunteer and member Hans Jeschek.
“We went from 197 created files for local police to zero.” he said. The crime rate has decreased at least 17 per cent in the past few years due to the presence of the ambitious patrol. Jeschek spoke candidly to the Standard of the various programs the Society offers including day patrol, night patrol, tunnel watch and Block and Speed Watch.
The success of the organization is based off the quiet dedication of modern day heroes like Jeschek, who put their safety on the line in the name of peace, demonstrating a level of courage and selflessness that has been a proven asset to the conservation of a quiet place like Hope.
“We are the eyes and ears of the local detachment and we have have a special car that identifies us as patrol to citizens.” All parties interested in signing up, or for more information please contact the Hope Crime Prevention Society office at 604-869-5900, or visit www.hopebc.ca