Local crime prevention association a model for other communities

BY BRENT FOX

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

The Kings Crime Prevention Association is a model of how to manage volunteer groups.

RCMP H Division Community Policing Services volunteer coordinator Cst. Gerry LaPierre spoke to the association May 27 concerning an ongoing reorganization of the volunteer aspect.

Attention will be paid readiness of volunteers, recruiting and retaining, LaPierre noted. There also has to be measures to avoid little cliques within groups. “Screening is a huge thing,” and security clearances and screening will make a difference.

“Let’s get the volunteers in the right jobs.” It’s a matter, he said, “of who needs to know what.”

There are two levels of security clearance, he pointed out, and “you have to ensure you don’t have someone who could take your organization’s reputation to the toilet.”

LaPierre said there have been standards and practices available, but there was a gap between policy and implementation. Currently, the goals are to provide excellence in management of volunteer services to increase professionalism.

This will take planning and evaluation, he noted. Strengths and challenges of administering the volunteer programs have to be identified. He also pointed out that resources are needed “or the buck stops.”

The H Division volunteer committee is comprised of six volunteers and two RCMP members. A subcommittee is being formed also for the new system.

“If we had a group like you have in Kings County,” LaPierre said, “it would be a piece of cake. I’d like to define the relationship between the RCMP and a group like you, and we want to use your board as a sort of best practices.”

Care has to be taken not to have RCMP members mandated to the subcommittee. What has to be done includes supervision and evaluation, volunteer recognition, record-keeping, reporting successes and evaluation and defining of volunteer roles.

“We have to develop something that describes what a crime prevention association is,” LaPierre said.

Responding to a question, LaPierre said that liability is what drives the whole thing. “It’s a huge issue.”

He acknowledged that he has been on the force for 35 years, and remains because “I care about this stuff.”