On January 26, 2022, we welcomed Dan Turnvill to our weekly meeting to speak to us about the work being done by the Strathcona Community Policing Centre and how our club can get involved.
Dan is the Executive Director of the Strathcona Community Policing Centre, which is one of 11 community policing centres across Vancouver, and is the major initiatives run by the Strathcona Community Safety Association, a registered charity. Dan joined the Strathcona Community Policing Centre in 2020, after a decade working in sports management with the BC Soccer Association, including 2 years as the head of Discipline.
Since opening in 2017, the Strathcona Policing Centre now addresses an average of 1800+ in-person, and online/phone inquiries a year through its street front office at 872 East Hastings Street. The 100+ trained volunteers provide information and referrals for shelter and housing, legal assistance, and addiction counselling as well as a myriad of programs in the community. These include: 
- Crime prevention and personal safety workshops
- Bike registration and theft prevention clinics as well as returning "found" stolen bikes to owners
- Volunteer patrols by foot, bike and "pooch and paw" patrols with dogs who help increase engagement with local residents
- Vehicle audits - over 22,000/year
- Door-to-Door Crime Alerts - over 1200/year
- Speed Watch, Distracted Driving and Pedestrian Safety Watches
- Food drives and Warm Winter Wishes food and clothing handouts
- Assistance with cultural events, block parties and other special events
- Twice monthly community clean-ups of graffiti, garbage, syringes, and cigarette butts
- Community art projects
- Educational workshops such a "target hardening" where security experts assist with home and business building security; and
- Restorative Justice sessions.
The Centre is actively seeking more volunteers, particularly anyone with fluency in other languages, unique skills (computer, artistic, martial arts or other certificates) or experience with or knowledge of the justice system and policing. Training is provided by the VPD and other professionals.
Dan invited us to consider volunteering with the Centre through two potential opportunities - either by signing up to be be a "Full Volunteer" who commits to a minimum of 6 hours/month or as a "Community Volunteer" who helps out with events such as community clean ups.
We will be following up with Dan to seek out opportunities with the Strathcona Community Policing Centre for a club/team service project in the coming months. In the meantime, you can find out more here https://strathconacpc.ca
Volunteers with the Strathcona Community Policing Centre, including our own Ron Suzuki. 