Opportunities From: iVolunteer Powered by United Way British Columbia

INFORMATION SERVICES

In order to participate in Information Services you must first be a successful volunteer with the GWCPC!

The Information Services & Referral Program in the GWCPC’s front office is the core of the Community Policing Centre. It plays a significant role to address residents' day-to-day crime and safety concerns, promote crime prevention and provide information about community resources. Information Services & Referrals operates with trained volunteers and staff supported by the Neighbourhood Police Officer (NPO). Staff and volunteers work closely with other services to follow-up on civic related complaints and issues like graffiti, garbage, abandoned vehicles, and damaged public property.
​Discover the benefits of volunteering in the front office and sign up!

Develop Valuable Professional Skills: Volunteering in the Front Office provides an opportunity to develop valuable professional skills such as communication, organization, time management, and problem-solving. You'll gain experience in customer service, learn to handle sensitive information, and develop attention to detail through writing reports. Additionally, for those interested in law enforcement, the front office will give you experience in working with difficult people and individuals facing significant challenges in their lives.

 

Make a Difference in the Community: By volunteering, you'll be making a significant difference in the lives of people in your community. You'll be helping to connect people with important resources.

Meet New People: Volunteering is a great way to meet new people & make friends. You'll be working alongside other volunteers who share your passion for helping others, and you'll also have the opportunity to interact with members of the public who visit the Front Office.

PATROLS

In order to participate in Patrols you must first be a successful volunteer with the GWCPC!

Volunteer Patrols respond to citizen inquiries while observing streets, alleys, and parking lots for unlawful actions. They report all suspicious activity as well as issues relating to graffiti and garbage. Volunteers receive direction from the NPO (Neighbourhood Police Officer) and staff to respond to District Priorities and weekly crime statistics provided by VPD.

Foot & Bike patrollers also conduct vehicle safety audits to inform owners how to protect their vehicles from break-in or theft, look for stolen cars using a database of stolen vehicles, and deliver Crime Alerts to communicate with residents in reported crime areas.
Our patrol programs:
Foot Patrol
Bike Patrol
Speed Watch

FOOT PATROL
The Foot Patrol program offers a great opportunity to contribute to a safer community in Grandview Woodlands, Gain valuable experience and training, and meet new people and connect with the community. Here are some key details about the Foot Patrol Training Program:

- Inspect parked vehicles for theft risk.
- Distribute information packages or notices.
- Monitor various activities or “hot spots” throughout Grandview Woodlands.
- Photograph, track, and upload graffiti information to VAN311.
- Identify, map and chart problem areas throughout each neighbourhood in Grandview
Woodland.
- Adopt a block in the neighbourhood and connect with the residents.
- Neighbourhood Police Officer (NPO - Cst. Kim) Volunteer Foot Patrols.

 

SPEED WATCH - ROAD SAFETY
Sponsored by ICBC and supported by the VPD, Speed Watch volunteers educate drivers to be more aware of speed limits on residential streets and areas with greater accident reports. Using radar equipment and an illuminated digital board, Speed Watch volunteers inform drivers of the speed at which they are traveling, in addition to conducting Cell Watch to determine how many drivers are observed to be distracted by their mobile devices.

Vancouver Police Officers can collaborate with GWCPC volunteers to issue speeding tickets to drivers who do not decrease their speed upon exiting a Speed Watch zone.

 

 

Make a Difference in the Community: By volunteering, you'll be making a significant difference in the lives of people in your community. You'll be helping to connect people with important resources.

Meet New People: Volunteering is a great way to meet new people & make friends. You'll be working alongside other volunteers who share your passion for helping others, and you'll also have the opportunity to interact with members of the public who visit the Front Office.

CPTED
(Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)

This program employs elements of environmental criminology; design considerations and effective use of the built environment that lead to a reduction in fear and the incidence of crime, and an improvement of the quality of life. The pride that a community shows by keeping streets clean and managing graffiti in a timely manner is reflected in the behaviour of citizens living in and visiting the neighbourhood. The CPTED program seeks to influence behaviour and encourage stewardship to reduce further acts of vandalism and supports the goal of the Vancouver Police Department to reduce property crime.

CPTED Activity Schedule:
Neighborhood Clean Up - (every Saturdays of the month)
Youth Clean Up - (2nd Saturdays of the month)
UGM Clean Up - (3rdSaturdays of the month)
Graffiti Paint Out - (4th Saturdays of the month)
Fall Leaves Collection - (seasonal)
Drainage Clearing - (seasonal)

 

CLEAN UPS
With equipment supplied through the City of Vancouver’s Keep Vancouver Spectacular campaign, teams of volunteers target areas recorded or reported for ongoing littering.
Clean-ups have a huge impact on our local neighbourhoods. Removing litter not only makes the neighbourhood cleaner, it also makes it safer. Research has shown that systematic removal of garbage can greatly reduce crime, vandalism and mischief.

 

PAINT OUT
The GWCPC has gathered a supply of paint, rollers, brushes, trays and other materials offered by the City of Vancouver through the VPD along with other community gifts-in-kind to contribute to civic graffiti abatement initiatives.
​
GWCPC Graffiti Paint-Outs are scheduled for the last Saturday of each calendar month from 10:00 a.m. – noon and they are weather dependent. Volunteers who can't go to this due to weather will join the Saturday Community Cleanup team instead (which goes rain or shine).

 

 

Make a Difference in the Community: By volunteering, you'll be making a significant difference in the lives of people in your community. You'll be helping to connect people with important resources.

Meet New People: Volunteering is a great way to meet new people & make friends. You'll be working alongside other volunteers who share your passion for helping others, and you'll also have the opportunity to interact with members of the public who visit the Front Office.

OUTREACH

Outreach initiatives develop the relationship between the GWCPC and the community. Program activities are delivered by volunteers, staff and the Neighbourhood Police Officer through support and participation in a wide range of events.

Our programs range from working with the VPD, RCMP, ICBC, BC CRN, to different cultural events like Italian Days, Vaisakhi Parade, the Chinese New Year Parade to First Nations New Moon Festivals.

Goals of the Community Outreach Program:
- Educate the public about crime prevention
- Provide information on reporting crime and quality of life concerns to the VPD, City and
the GWCPC
- Provide events that encourage neighbours to know one another
- Build relationships with other community organizations

 

 

Make a Difference in the Community: By volunteering, you'll be making a significant difference in the lives of people in your community. You'll be helping to connect people with important resources.

Meet New People: Volunteering is a great way to meet new people & make friends. You'll be working alongside other volunteers who share your passion for helping others, and you'll also have the opportunity to interact with members of the public who visit the Front Office.