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Riding to get rid of crime

Kathy Song likes to ride her bike and she has her eye on a career in policing. So when her brother, Brian, spotted an opportunity two years ago to volunteer with the Coquitlam RCMP’s community police volunteer bike patrol, he recommended she apply.
bike patrol
Kathy Song, 22, and Ethan Jang, 18, are members of the Coquitlam RCMP's community police volunteer bike patrol.

Kathy Song likes to ride her bike and she has her eye on a career in policing.

So when her brother, Brian, spotted an opportunity two years ago to volunteer with the Coquitlam RCMP’s community police volunteer bike patrol, he recommended she apply.

Song has been riding weekly shifts out of the department’s Burquitlam community policing office ever since.

The 22-year-old is part of a contingent of about 10 volunteer patrollers riding around Coquitlam in two- to four-hour shifts handing out crime prevention notices in parts of the city identified as hot spots for crimes like break-and-enters, thefts from cars, vandalism and graffiti tagging. They also check for stolen licence plates and provide support at community events like Canada Day celebrations and the Terry Fox Run. Another five volunteers patrol Port Coquitlam.

“We’re just the eyes and ears for the community,” said Song, who has worked her way up to being a co-ordinator for the volunteer bike patrols.

The patrollers are also a vital supplement to the regular duty officers on shift, said Cpl. Mike McLaughlin, the detachment’s media relations officer, noting, “There’s only so many uniformed officers you can put out there."

And when those officers arrive at a scene that’s also being attended by members of the volunteer patrol, they know their work can be complemented by the trained eyes and ears of the patrollers.

“Our volunteers are really tuned to what is important,” McLaughlin said.

That was particularly apparent one night when Song was on shift at the Burquitlam office and two young people burst in to report a drunk driver had crashed into a nearby park and had fled the scene. Song and a fellow patroller (they never work alone) pedalled to the park and were able to secure the area and check if anyone was hurt before other emergency responders arrived.

Another volunteer patroller, 18-year-old Ethan Jang, said it’s gratifying to feel like he’s able to make a difference in the community. An experienced and passionate mountain biker, Jang said it has been fun to learn the skills it takes to ride safely on the road.

Members of the volunteer patrol are equipped with a hybrid bike that allows them to ride efficiently on the pavement while also making it easy to ride into parks and on trails. Nothing beyond a basic ability to ride a bike, as well as a passion to serve the community, is required. But after training, potential patrollers will be evaluated on their ability to handle their bike safely.

And while Song is a young adult, age is not a big factor as members of the patrol range from their teens to middle age.

WANT TO RIDE & HELP?

Coquitlam RCMP is accepting applications for its community police summer bike patrol up until May 16. Candidates must be:

• at least 16 years old;

• able to pass a bike riding evaluation;

• and able to pass a security background check.

Riding evaluations will be conducted May 26. For more information, visit the RCMP detachment at 2986 Guildford Way, Coquitlam, or any of the local community police stations.