A delegation from the Pine Centre Mall location of Save-On-Foods and neighbourhood crime prevention programs are on the agenda for the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Safety meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 15.
The first speaker on the agenda is Regan Bader, manager of the Save-On-Foods store, on the topic of retail theft.
Then, city staff will give a report on how the city can help promote the Citizens on Patrol program operated by the RCMP and Block Watch, which is run by the Block Watch Society of BC.
The Citizens on Patrol program recruits and trains volunteers to help patrol parts of the local RCMP detachment’s catchment area to help, but not replace, regular police officers or licensed security patrols.
Under the Block Watch program, the report said, there area 44 active neighbourhoods in Prince George. Of those, 19 are considered rural and 25 are considered urban.
Someone in each of those participating neighbourhoods takes on the role of captain, acting as a point of contact, establishing signs discussing the program, reviewing referrals of new participants, organize notifications relating to the program and liaising with insurance companies about Block Watch-related discounts.
The final item on the agenda is a review of the committee’s work plan for 2025.
The meeting starts at noon in the second-floor conference room at Prince George City Hall.
