25 years of safety

Since Vernon's Safe Community Office opened, Sheila Marsh and Laura Heinrichs have volunteered more than 4,000 hours each.

The pair of seniors were among the first to volunteer for the city program when it started on Nov. 15, 1999.

The brainchild of former RCMP member Terry Pakenham, the unit has grown to host numerous programs and community projects.

Marsh and Heinrichs said they come back year after year because they enjoy working there and want to give back to the community.

“The dedication of the volunteers with the Community Safety Office to their community is outstanding,” said Rachael Zubick, Community Safety co-ordinator-public programs.” These volunteers, along with that of the many other volunteers, helps ensure that safety remains a top priority for all of us."

Volunteers have contributed an impressive 92,290 hours, answered 43,385 phone calls, and served 58,414 individuals at the front counter, all while playing a key role in fostering a safer environment in Vernon.

The office deals with a wide range of safety programs that are showing tangible results.

“We offer programming in everything from personal safety to community safety,” Zubick said. “We also go into the schools and do bike safety. We offer as many programs as we can for every sector of the community.”

The anti graffiti unit, the Tag Teams, have been operating each summer since 2001.

Since the office began operating, Zubick has noticed collaboration in the community has increased.

“When we become more collaborative as a community it means calls for service are reduced because people understand better what they need to do,” said Zubick.

Working with various Vernon social agencies has also had an impact in the community with more people being directed to the programs they need.

And in more than two decades, Zubick has seen the best Vernon has to offer.

“Our community never ceases to surprise me on how amazing and resilient we are and how much we work together to solve the issues that we have,” she said.

Residents interested in learning more about the services offered through the Community Safety Office, including information on how they can get involved in supporting local safety initiatives, are encouraged to stop by the office at 3010 31st Ave.