In the wake of one successful armed robbery and another attempted one – not to mention numerous other crimes -- residents and business owners in Olds have every right to be concerned.
All the more reason why it's disappointing that Citizens on Patrol (COP) – a volunteer group that strives to help police stop crimes and/or alert them to suspicious activities – is now in limbo, according to Olds chief operating officer Doug Wagstaff.
Wagstaff announced the fate of the group during an Olds and District Community Policing Advisory Committee (ODCPAC) meeting.
He said several members of the current executive are stepping down for health reasons. However, another issue is the fact these volunteers are simply exhausted. The same people have been involved year after year, with little to no new blood coming in to relieve them.
That just simply can't go on.
But on the other hand, the town doesn't want to see the organization die. It's too useful.
So COP in Olds is in suspended animation while the town conducts a study to see if it's worth preserving, and if so, how that can be done.
Here's hoping they do conclude that COP can be saved and rejuvenated. Any help we can give police to fight crime is worth preserving.
But if COP is saved, a key to its survival will be for far more citizens and business owners to join the group and undertake patrols to keep homes and businesses safe from thieves.
It's in their own self-interest.
