Police summer students on patrol

FORT FRANCES—Whether its escorting police officers on marine patrol or promoting the “Lock It or Lose It” campaign, the local detachment of the OPP has four students lending it extra hands this summer.
Cody Van Drunen, Dayton Brown, Mitch Cain, and Jenna Nowak have been working with the OPP under the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services’ “Summer Experience Program” since the first week of July.
Van Drunen, who’s entering Grade 12 at Fort Frances High School this fall, and Brown, who graduated last month, have been working with OPP traffic officers Csts. Pete Drouin and Paul Davis.
While they’ve accompanied the officers on highway patrol on the more inclement days, most of their time so far has been spent on marine patrol on the Rainy River and Rainy Lake.
OPP community services officer Cst. Anne McCoy noted Van Drunen and Brown both have expressed interest in becoming police officers, and have been getting a good idea as to what the job entails.
While out on marine patrol, the police check for safety equipment violations contrary to small vessel regulations, as well as liquor violations contrary to the Liquor Licence Act, impairment by alcohol (a Criminal Code offence), and operator competency requirements.
They also offer assistance to broken down/disabled vessels.
“We’re trying to give them hands-on experience so they know what to expect in the law enforcement field,” said Cst. McCoy. “Hopefully, it will encourage them to carry on with their career aspirations.”
This experience ranges from public relations and knowledge of the Highway Traffic Act, Liquor Licence Act, and Criminal Code to promoting safety on the road and water and familiarization with Rainy Lake, she added.
“You get to know where the best fishing spots are, too,” said Van Drunen.
Due to the nature of marine patrol, the pair also will get experience working with other enforcement agencies, such as Ministry of Natural Resources and Canada Border Services.
This actually is Brown’s second summer job with the OPP, already having done bicycle patrol last year.
Van Drunen will continue on with the local OPP as a co-op student in the fall.
Meanwhile, Cain, who’s entering Grade 12 this year, and Nowak, who just graduated in June, have been on bicycle patrol around town helping to deliver the “Lock It or Lose It” anti-theft program.
The purpose of the program is to raise awareness of crime prevention and inform the public how to crime-proof their property.
As such, the pair have been keeping their eyes open for unlocked vehicles, and those with valuables in them that may be tempting to thieves, as well as unsecured bicycles.
When they find an unlocked car, for example, they’ll put a “Lock It or Lose It” decal on it to send a clear message to the owner that they’re taking their chances and should secure their vehicle.
“If they have valuables in their vehicle, put them somewhere where they’re out of sight,” Cst. McCoy stressed. “That’s the whole message.
“If [thieves] see something of value on your car, even of it’s pocket change, they’ll break a window to get to it,” she warned.
Nowak noted since they’ve been on patrol, they give out about 10 “Lock It or Lose It” decals for every 50 vehicles they check, meaning about 20 percent of the vehicles out there are targets ripe for theft.
Cain said they also see check for unsecured bicycles—and see a surprising number of bikes just lying out in residents’ yards.
Cst. McCoy said the “Lock It or Lose It” campaign also extends to homes and garages.
If Nowak and Cain are out on patrol and they notice items laying out on people’s lawns, or their garage is open and nobody’s home, they’ll put a sticker on the front door of the house to remind the residents to lock up their valuables.
Local police have seen a large number of break-and-enters over the past six weeks, noted Cst. McCoy.
Residents also are encouraged to lock their doors, use and maintain exterior motion lights to light up those alleys and other dark areas, and, if possible,
inform a neighbour to keep a watch over their property if they’re leaving home for a period of time.
Cst. McCoy also stressed the most important things to do if you realize you’ve been a victim of a break-and-enter is call the police immediately and then not touch anything.
Waiting to report it and interfering with any evidence makes it more difficult for police to complete an investigation and catch the culprits.
To report a crime, contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122.
(Fort Frances Times)