Sturgeon Rural Crime Watch making future plans

By Lucie Roy

Morinville – it’s a busy road ahead for the Sturgeon Rural Crime Watch (SRCW). President Roger Nykipilo presented his annual report at the Annual General Meeting last week, outlining where the group is at and where it is going.

It has been a productive and busy year for SRCW. In October at the Zone 5 meeting hosted by Fort Saskatchewan a resolution came forward from the Barrhead & District RCW to implement flashing strobe lights on the rural school buses to be used at all times when carrying students.

“Strobe lights for school buses is still under review,” Nykipilo said. “Currently each school board decided when strobe lights should be used on their buses. Most School Boards have mandated strobe lights be used during periods of low visibility, fog, snowing rain etc. We recommend to Alberta Transportation that strobe lights be used all the time, as they carry our most precious cargo- our children.”

Nykipilo said another resolutions brought forward at that same meeting it proposed the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association advocate with the Solicitor General and the Alberta Government to reinstate legislation which makes it mandatory that all motor vehicles registered in the province of Alberta display both the front and back license plates on their motor vehicles. It was felt this measure would strengthen law enforcement without infringing on the rights and freedoms and privacy of law abiding citizens.

In the next few months SRCW will be busy with numerous activities in the community. On Apr. 10 at the Rendez-Vous Centre the organization will present the winning entries by students that entered the Alberta Rural Crime Watch Poster Contest. They will also have a booth at the Morinville Trade Fair Apr. 20-22. The association will host the Provincial Zone 5 Conference on May 26 at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre.

In addition to special events, the group is looking at maintaining the work it is already doing.

“For 2012 it is paramount we address three major initiatives”, Nykipilo said, noting the group is looking to fill all the vacancies on the board, fund the DARE(Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, and continue the Rural Crime Watch Poster Contest. It takes approximately $4,000 per year to sponsor the DARE program and $1,100 for the poster contest.

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