Pubdate: Tue, 04 Aug 2009
Source: Lacombe Globe, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2009 Osprey Media
Contact: http://www.lacombeglobe.com/feedback1/LetterToEditor.aspx
Website: http://www.lacombeglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3296
Author: Heather Pickett
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?216 (CN Police)

PUBLIC CONTRIBUTES TO PROGRAM'S SUCCESS

LACOMBE- While the progress of a program that relies heavily on the 
involvement of the public can be difficult to measure, the Lacombe 
Police Service is hailing the first year of their Report Activities 
Indicating Drugs program, (RAID), as a success.

In an effort to press home a no tolerance stance for drugs in the 
community, Lacombe Police launched the program - built on the success 
of the Neighbourhood Watch program - last July by distributing 
information cards that allow residents to report any and all 
activities that may be indicative of drugs. The partnership with the 
community is paying off.

"When we first introduced the RAID program we thought it could be 
another tool in our arsenal and that's exactly what it has turned out 
to be," said Cst. Steve Murray. "We gave the community, through 
anonymity, an opportunity to help solve problems in their area and 
we've used information from the public in conjunction with other 
tools to form investigations, which have lead to the execution of 
warrants and arrests. And those are successes."

At the onset, the hope for the program was that the public would 
become involved, as the community often knows their residential areas 
best. When neighbours see something out of character for their street 
or unusual behaviour at a nearby house, the program encourages them 
to record what they see and submit that information to the police as 
soon as possible so they can follow up and take appropriate action.

The program stemmed from results gathered from a police survey sent 
out to all town residents last year. Residents expressed concern over 
drug use in the community and indicated they wanted to see increased 
police activity to combat the use and the trafficking of drugs in the area.

"The objectives of the program are to have residents report what they 
see so the police can react and therefore reduce the problems," added 
Cst. Murray. "Having the public involvement is a huge benefit to us. 
I think we're most successful when we have that partnership and that 
we struggle without it. One of the founding principles of modern 
police forces is the idea that the public are the police and the 
police are the public. We need to work together."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom