Salt Spring police welcomed a critical equipment resupply this week, as the island’s RCMP detachment took delivery of a fuzzy front-line communication tool meant to help children exposed to traumatic incidents.
The Crime Stoppers “Safety Bears” ride along with detachment members ready for any child who might interact with police, according to RCMP Cpl. Steve Davidson, who met Central Vancouver Island (CVI) Crime Stoppers president Brian Cornborough Thursday, July 3. Cornborough delivered the bears as the last stop in a multi-community tour, supplying several RCMP detachments with allotments of stuffed animals as far away as Tofino.
“We use them all the time,” said Davidson. “For children who might be present at calls, or sometimes are involved as passengers in motor vehicles.”
Cornborough said the bears are purchased in bulk — “700 at a time,” he chuckled — through donations to the all-volunteer organization.
“A couple of years ago, some of the members at the detachment in Nanaimo approached us for financing to buy these bears,” said Cornborough. “So that’s what we did. And that’s what we do, we raise money — and we get rid of it just as fast.”
Cornborough said in addition to the bears, CVI Crime Stoppers had raised money to pay a year’s wages for a security person to be on the street in Nanaimo to help out, bought two-way radios for police volunteers in Port Alberni and donated funding to victim’s services in Oceanside. Between a shredding event and donations through life estates, he said, they have “a little money to spend” and were happy to finance bears for another year. Davidson said detachment members were happy to receive them as well.
“We carry these bears in all of our police cars,” said Davidson. “They’re a means of comfort, and it leaves a positive impression of the police on children.”
Cornborough said CVI Crime Stoppers covers nearly a dozen municipalities and larger rural areas, working in “small meaningful ways” to reduce crime within those communities — and, he said, the organization’s small board would welcome participation from Salt Spring.
“We would like to have someone here, for sure, just helping us make sure little things like this get done,” said Cornborough. “If anybody wants to volunteer to give us some of their time, please reach out to president@cvicrimestoppers.com.”
Crime Stoppers welcomes anonymous tips about crime at 1-800-222-8477; for more information visit cvicrimestoppers.com.