West St. Paul and St. Andrews COPP share criminal information across both RMs
Volunteers with the Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) are dedicated to ensuring safety for communities. Members from the West St. Paul and St. Andrews COPP have taken their commitment to public safety a step further by establishing a system for sharing criminal information between the two regions.
“With the increase in criminal activity, especially in rural areas, St. Andrews and West St. Paul COPP have established a communication sharing system for criminal activities in their respective RMs,” explained WSP COPP coordinator Murray Luschinski.
As of Feb. 1, the two patrol groups will share information about criminal activities that have occurred or may be at risk of occurring, keeping the citizens of both municipalities informed.
Luschinski and St. Andrews COPP coordinator Bob Jesson agree that, given their shared border, forming this alliance and sharing information is a sensible approach.
“It is time that we got proactive in our approach when dealing with the criminal activities taking place in our RMs,” said the coordinators.
The alliance will share pertinent details, including information about suspicious persons or vehicles, reports of stolen goods, and safety tips. When COPP volunteers are alerted to a concern, each coordinator will disseminate the information to volunteers in the affected areas, ensuring everyone is aware of the issue at hand. Any additional sightings should be reported to the local RCMP for further action. The first incident addressed by the newly formed alliance occurred on January 26, just days before the official announcement.
“COPP volunteer patrollers came across a white Ford pick-up truck stealing lumber around 8:30 p.m. Sunday in the Meadowlands area (WSP),” said Luschinski.
The driver quickly fled towards Main Street once they noticed the patrollers. The COPP patrollers lost sight of the driver when the truck passed the Tim Hortons on Main Street.
The lumber was stolen from a construction site in Meadowlands, just north of New Haven Way. Despite patrollers getting images of the truck, the front licence plate was missing, and the back plate was obstructed with snow.
The two West St. Paul patrollers on the scene followed the action plan provided during their training with the COPP organization.
“(They) did an outstanding job of being observant, taking notes and contacting law enforcement. This is exactly where our COPP participation plays an important part in making a community a safer place to live in.”
Both West St. Paul and St. Andrews COPP volunteers were informed of the incident, and the RCMP was dispatched to the area.
“As a result, our patrols we are now more focused on doing more weekend patrols especially Sunday evenings,” added Luschinski.
He explained that patrollers often patrol businesses/industrial parks, new development blocks and areas along Main Street.
“Saturday and Sunday evenings are an ideal time for crime to happen as there are normally no contractors/businesses operating at this time.”
It is important to note that the West St. Paul and St. Andrews COPP remain two separate entities. Therefore, any suspicious activity should be reported to the appropriate group based on the location.
For more information about each group or if you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, you can email your respective COPP: – West St. Paul residents: info@wspcopp.com – St. Andrews residents: rjesson@lssd.ca
