Citizens on Patrol (COP) and Restorative Justice (RJ) volunteers in Williams Lake were recognized at a celebratory dinner on Sept. 13 at the Fox’s Den Restaurant.
Sgt.Brad McKinnon of the Williams Lake RCMP spoke briefly, noting his appreciation for the work the volunteers do to keep the community safe.
Willie Dye, Williams Lake Stampede Parade organizer, thanked the COP for their support of the annual event.
“Without [COP] we wouldn’t have a parade and that would be a sin,” said Dye of the role the volunteers play in the event.
Sgt. Josh Smith, of the Williams Lake RCMP, thanked the COP for their dedication to continuing the program, despite transitions at the detachment which meant there was limited interaction with RCMP intermittently.
Balwinder (Bob) Sunner, leader of COP and long-time volunteer, said he originally became involved with COP through the late Bob McIntosh, a retired RCMP member and longtime volunteer. McIntosh drilled into him “observe, record and report” and told the volunteers the work they do is important. On his very first shift with COP, Sunner and McIntosh observed two people carrying off a grandfather clock taken from Sunner’s family’s store Laketown Furnishings.
“This is all good work, this is all really important,” he said to the volunteers.
Sunner said when a person tells him “someone ought to do something” he can respond: “People are doing something, and you can do something too, you can join us.”
Mayor Surinderpal Rathor also spoke thanking the volunteers and recalling the origins of the COP and their early days, which he was involved in.
Jim World of RJ talked about the work they do and how rewarding it is to see them help people get on the right track or provide an opportunity for victims to have an active role in the system.
Citizens on Patrol works to support RCMP and the community by providing volunteer patrols to observe, record and report concerns, as well as helping support community events like the Williams Lake Stampede Parade and Harvest Run/Walk/Bike with traffic control or security.
Restorative Justice helps provide an alternative to the traditional justice system to support people found guilty of minor offences and victims in facilitating a non-punitive approach. The victim, offender and members of the community are brought together to discuss the impacts of the crime and how to address them.
Volunteers recognized at the dinner included: Donna-Marie Cyr, 26 years with RJ, Sandra Hawkins, 25 years with RJ, Elmer Thiessen, 25 years with RJ, Bob Sunner, 20 years with COP, Alex Wasylenko, 17 years with COP, Jim World, 16 years with RJ, Don Branch, 16 years with COP, Dale Benastick, 13 years with COP, Liz Crosina, 13 years with RJ, Deborah Pickering, 13 years with RJ and COP, Mark Hamm, 13 years with RJ, Albert Slavik, 10 years with COP, Ric Northcott, seven years with COP, Peggy Christianason, six years with RJ, Terry Ashley, five years with RJ, Annette Frank, five years with RJ, Karen Kim, five years with RJ, Jo Ann Hamm, three years with RJ, Amanda Sulymka, two years with COP, Marnie Sellars, two years with RJ, Raman Sidhu, one year with COP, and Michael Moses, one year with COP.
Following a catered dinner, volunteers were given a certificate in recognition for their years of service and thanked by Sgt. Smith.
READ MORE: OUR HOMETOWN: Bob McIntosh puts community at forefront
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