Citizens of Boyle and Athabasca County have a new resource that puts vast amounts of information at their fingertips.
The Boyle & District Rural Crime Watch Association’s website went live on Monday, August 8 and aims to be a central place for citizens to learn from and connect with local law enforcement initiatives.
Terry Jordan, community peace officer for Athabasca County Enforcement Services, said that this website is just one of the first steps to upping the association’s presence in the public eye.
“We’re a non-profit organization designed to assist the RCMP with getting out information on crime to the public,” he said. “So we’re trying to get on board with some of the more current options.”
Jordan, who routinely patrols the rural roads of Athabasca County enforcing local by-laws and a slew of other legislation, also serves as treasurer to the Boyle & District Rural Crime Watch Association
He said there are still some kinks to work out of the current site, but it’s a good first step to increasing awareness in the community.
Currently, the site offers information pages on a number of topics, from bicycle and winter safety to crime prevention and vandalism. There’s something for everyone, like tips for seniors on how to avoid household falls, and advice for parents on how to protect their kids from cyberbullying.
The site also includes links to the various law enforcement and local government websites, as well as contact information for the association and nearby RCMP detachments.
To supplement their online efforts, Jordan explained that the Boyle association would be working closely with its sister association in Athabasca, in hopes of developing a working relationship that will benefit both communities and the county.
He said residents can pay a one-time $12 fee to the association, which will be followed by a criminal background check. If all clears, they will be given Crime Watch Association paraphernalia, like stickers and lawn signs.
They are also currently working on combining their fan-out system with Athabasca’s, which provides phone and email messages to get the word out on crimes in a timely fashion.
Once it’s fully operational, the joint fan-out system will be able to get out a large volume of messages in a short amount of time to members across the county.
The crime watch association’s website can be found at www.boyleruralcrimewatch.ca.
