‘Awareness and education’: South Peace District Crime Prevention Association holding symposium

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The South Peace District Crime Prevention Association (SPDCPA) will hold a symposium in Dawson Creek, with keynote speakers to discuss crime in rural areas and the programs the organization runs.

Registration is already full for the symposium, which will be held on Friday, April 24th, at the Co-Op Mercer Hall located in the Ovintiv Events Centre.

The organization is a group in which ‘citizens on patrol’ volunteers operate units in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek and Moberly Lake, with members stretching as far as Tomslake to the south, to Doe River and Rolla to the north of Dawson Creek.

It is affiliated with the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Association, where it is a non-voting member, and the BC Crime Prevention Association.

SPDCPA president John Vetter said the inspiration for hosting such an event came from similar events occurring in Alberta.

Speaking to Energeticcity.ca, Vetter described the symposium as “awareness and education for our members.”

“We are affiliated with the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association, and we also have a partnership with the Alberta Provincial Citizens on Patrol,” said Vetter. “[The] two associations, once a year, put on symposiums located in Alberta, that’s training and information for the members.”

“We have a couple issues with that: first off, it’s costly, because we have to send our volunteers quite a distance, and it takes a lot of time, because they’re usually run over a weekend. It’s also focused mainly on Alberta, and we’re not on that side of the border.”

Working in tandem with groups in Dawson Creek and Chetwynd, the SPDCPA worked to put together an event focusing on B.C., and crime prevention in rural areas.

The day-long event will feature remarks from Mayor Darcy Dober and Peace River South MLA Larry Neufeld. Commanding officers of RCMP units in Dawson Creek and Chetwynd will also make remarks.

Keynote speakers will include BC Hydro safety manager Kelly Young, BC Crime Stoppers executive director Gillian Millam, along with a drone operator for the RCMP and the RCMP’s K-9 unit.

The symposium will conclude with a discussion with the resource sector, and a conversation with representatives from Ovintiv and Shell on how the SPDCPA can work in tandem to promote crime prevention initiatives in the region.

The organization’s annual general meeting will follow the symposium, which will take place on Friday, April 24th from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Mercer Hall in the Ovintiv Events Centre at Unit #1, 300 Highway 2 in Dawson Creek. Meals will be provided throughout the day.

For more details about the SPDCPA, visit the organization’s Facebook page and website.