EAST HANTS: Citizens on Patrol (COP), in East Hants, needs your help.

Currently, there are 15 members with COP, which helps out members of the Enfield RCMP in keeping an eye on the local communities and its happenings. On Jan. 8, I had the opportunity to ride along with two COP members for a two hour tour.

I meet with the two members at the Enfield RCMP detachment at 11 a.m. I’m soon informed it will be about a two hour ride-along and that they don’t expect it to be busy because of the daylight, adding one never knows.

Before leaving the RCMP detachment, we radio to Telecom to let them know we will be on the road, in case our vehicle is identified and information is called in by someone who thinks we’re suspicious. This lets the RCMP know that it’s just COP members on a patrol and also helps in case they see something criminal happening.

We begin our patrol at Doyle Drive, in Enfield, before heading to the Old Horne Settlement Road, doing a drive by behind Parker Place strip mall, in Enfield, and then White Estates, where they keep an eye on new builds for any criminal activity.

“If we see a van or u-haul truck pulled up to a new house, that’s suspicious,” one of the COP members said. “We would notify the cops with as many details as possible.”

Luckily, during this drive by, all that is seen is a DHL courier van delivering goods to a resident.

The second COP member notes on any given patrol, members could add between 100-150 kilometres to their vehicle’s odometer.

“It’s so important for people of East Hants to know there’s an extra set of eyes out there,” the COP member said.

Citizens on Patrol sees regular, everyday citizens supplement police patrols to help reduce crime by keeping a neighbourly watch over their communities. Patrols watch for any unusual or criminal activity and report these incidents to the police for any necessary follow-up. Complete COP kits and communications gear are provided for patrollers. All patrollers have official photo ID tags and log in with the RCMP when on patrols.

Members of COP have neither the authority, nor the mandate, to make arrests, or to take action that might jeopardize their own safety or that of the public. The role of Citizens on Patrol is to simply observe, make notes and report.

Those involved with the East Hants COP group usually do between one and three day patrols a week. They do between four and six patrols during the late night hours, specifically if there is a special event, like Halloween, falling on a Friday or Saturday night.

Members haven’t stumbled upon a lot of suspicious activity when they’re making their patrols. One incident where they did was a few years back when two ladies out on patrol saw what they thought was a drug transaction taking place in the Elmsdale Business Park. They radioed it in to the detachment and an officer responded promptly. It turned out to indeed be a drug transaction taking place.

The next stop sees us take a cruise through Enfield and Elmsdale Elementary Schools. After that stop, it’s off to Elmwood Subdivision, where the members pay particular attention to the fencing, which acts as a barricade between the residents and Elmsdale Lumber Company. The lumber company has had problems with people getting over the fence and into the lumber yard in the past.

As we drive through Elmwood Drive, one thing one of the members keeps seeing has him shaking his head.

“Having your outdoor light on is a sure sign no one is home,” the member said as we drive by six homes with the outdoor lights on. “People should have timers that way they won’t stand out like these ones do.”

Next on the list to go watch was Milford and Hants East Rural High School. We arrived and there wasn’t any problem, so off to Shubenacadie, where we stopped and drove around the elementary school, stopping when asked as we got there during their lunch hour. As we waited, the two COP members checked the area out from inside their vehicle.

With nothing suspicious happening, we continued on our way, driving into the town and then onto Highway 224 headed back towards Milford.

“Members of the community and businesses seem very appreciative and thankful for our volunteer work,” one COP member said. “We are out there checking things out.”

As we look off the road, the two members spot a vehicle at Heritage Baptist Church, in Milford. Immediately, the right hand turn signal comes on and we’re going to investigate the suspicious vehicle. We drive down the road leading to the church and come up, behind the Chevrolet truck with New York State license plates. That has left the two members wondering what’s going on, so they go and turn around.

One member goes to the door to inquire and see what’s happening. He opens the door to the church’s basement and is met by a male with a gyproc knife in his hand. A scary thought with many different scenarios possible, but on this day none of them occurred.

The male told the COP member he is with the Baptist Church Ministry and from the Rochester, N.Y., area. He also explained that he and his wife are doing some renovation work to the church’s basement. With that explanation, the COP member was satisfied and returned to the vehicle.

“That’s the little surprises that make our life interesting,” the COP member said. “Every once and awhile we run across things like this.”

The members kept the paper they had jotted the vehicle’s license plate on to hand over to police to do a follow up in case the story they were told was false.

As we continue on the way back, the members decide to take Highway 2 to keep an eye on what is taking place along the route, visiting Riverside Education Centre, in Milford, and Maple Ridge Elementary School, in Lantz, along the way, before returning to the detachment where I’m dropped off and we go our separate ways.

If anyone is interested in more information about the East Hants COP program they’re asked to contact Const. Les Kakonyi, community policing officer with Enfield RCMP, at 883-7077.

phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com