The Watch volunteers head through Galt Gardens. (Supplied by Lethbridge Police Service)

By David Opinko

Needle debris drops since "The Watch" began

19 new volunteers for “The Watch” in Lethbridge’s downtown begin training

Sep 10, 2019 | 9:30 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge’s team of volunteer community overseers is growing.

Watch Manager Jeff Hansen spoke to city council Monday, outlining how the first couple of months of the program has been and where they hope to go in the near future.

Back in April, 2019, 10 full-time leaders and 24 volunteers were brought on board with their training including mental health awareness, city resources, occupational health and safety, suicide awareness, note taking, First Nations Metis and Inuit (FNMI) Awareness, radio protocols, fetal alcohol syndrome, how to administer Naloxone, doing First Aid and CPR, and something Hansen calls “Verbal Judo” – the art of persuasion.

He told media about what he believes to be the group’s biggest success so far.

“I’ve seen a drastic drop in needle pickup. My team talks, just since May, that those numbers have dropped drastically, and I think it’s because we have eyes and ears on those needles and we can use ARCHES as a resource.”

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In May, The Watch was called 110 times to clean up needle debris, but just one month later, they only received 53 calls from the public about the same issue.

Something they started doing in June is “Safe Walks”, where a member of The Watch can walk alongside or near someone who is walking to a certain business in the downtown area or from their work to their vehicle when they finish their shift. This is done to ensure people feel safe.

Hansen says he is not concerned that a rise in Safe Walks could divert their attention away from more serious matters.

“Even if we do get a rash of Safe Walk calls, we have a large enough team that we can spread it out amongst the area that, you know, with a large group, they can still do those Safe Walks.”

Due to the early success of the program, the team is expanding.

On Monday, September 9th, an additional 19 volunteers will begin their training. After accounting for a few members leaving since being sworn in, this would put their total numbers around 40.

For many, it is one of their first steps in becoming a full police officer alongside taking a criminal justice course. For others, it is a way of giving back to their community in retirement.

Right now, The Watch works from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm and covers the area from the river bottom to Mayor Magrath Drive South and from 5th Ave North to 6th Ave South.

Hansen said they likely not move to a 24-hour service model, but could increase the service area down the line.

“The mandate right now is the downtown beat, so that’s to be seen and that’s to be discussed between city council and the executive, and that’s their decision to make, but I do see it going city-wide, but over the next several years.”

In addition to doing Safe Walks, The Watch is general responsible for reporting criminal activity, safety concerns, traffic hazards, nuisance behaviour, keeping a daily record of all incidents and events, and building relationships.