The once-a-year recruiting window is open for The Watch in Lethbridge.
Watch Manager for the Lethbridge Police Service, Shane Kisinger says this year, they are looking to get the volunteer roster closer to 30 people, which means they need to add roughly seven more members.
He explains the application process is the starting point for hopeful volunteers, followed by a week-long training program, which has historically been held during the second week of October. Skills such as tactical communications, verbal judo, talking to people, report writing and talking on the radio will be taught during that course.
“The verbal judo [training] is the same program that’s taught to the police cadets, just a more condensed version. All it really is is using your active listening to build rapport and try to convince somebody to do something they normally wouldn’t want to do,” Kisinger says. “That’s how we use that [skill] in The Watch.”
He adds The Watch is there to help defer calls for service away from the police. An example of this would include a business having an unwanted guest that they have asked to leave. Rather than the police being called to the scene, The Watch members on duty would be called and they would use their verbal judo skills, along with pre-existing relationships, to escort the person out of the business.
“We know a lot of the at-risk population. We deal with them every day and have a good relationship with them. [We] try to see if we can get them to comply with the business owner’s wishes, which is to leave the business,” Kisinger explains.
He says if the individual still says no after they have tried to work with them, then that is when the police would be called.
According to Kisinger, in a year, calls for public service can be as low as 500 and as high as 664 calls. He says that encompasses everything from street behaviour-related activities to wellness checks, assisting business owners and their businesses, or conducting a safe walk.
He adds that last year, The Watch did 688 needle pickups, where they identified a needle, took a picture of it and sent it to Clean Sweep.
He says restrictions to volunteer for The Watch include being 18 years of age or older, and being a permanent resident who either lives in Lethbridge or the Lethbridge area.
“We just ask people to come in for an interview… We get to know you a little bit, we [take] them out on a walk-along to make sure this is what they want to do,” Kisinger says. “A background check is done through our intel unit and then if everything’s done and good, then we offer them a spot in our week-long training academy.”
He says The Watch is active every single day except for statutory holidays. The volunteers who are accepted will work alongside the six full-time staff members who look after the program. Applications will be open until the spots for the training course are full or the month of October, whichever comes first. More information can be found here.
