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VERNON - If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be part of the RCMP, or if you’ve ever wanted to do your part to help prevent crime, now is your chance to get involved.

The RCMP volunteer program is recruiting new candidates for September training in Vernon.

“For more than 25 years, this community-based volunteer group has helped to minimize the amount of crime occurring throughout Vernon,” Crime Prevention Coordinator Regan Borisenko says in a release. “RCMP volunteers are extra eyes and ears for the Vernon/North Okanagan RCMP. The program provides a valuable crime prevention service to our community.”

Last year there were 60 volunteers in the program. In total they put in more than 5,000 hours of patrolling, training and special events, working 298 patrol shifts, 48 speed-watch operations, eight Lock Out Auto Crime operations and 10 cell-watch operations. They also checked 20,000 license plates to determine if they were stolen, were responsible for eight arrests and patrolled more than 31,000 kilometres in Vernon.

Before classroom training begins, volunteers will undergo interviews covering security and program interests. Classroom training will then take place in Vernon from Sept. 21 to 25 and will include developing patrol skills, note-taking, court processes, observation skills and incident report writing.

Following 15 hours of classroom training new volunteers will complete six patrols with training volunteers to go over the practical aspects of the program.

To become an RCMP volunteer, applicants must be between the ages of 19 and 79, have no criminal record, pass an RCMP security screening and successfully complete the volunteer training program.

If you are interested in applying to the program call Borisenko at 250-550-7847 or by email at rborisenko@vernon.ca.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2015