Cultus Lake – Earlier this spring the Cultus Lake Park Board and the City of Chilliwack entered into a joint agreement with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to establish Community Policing at Cultus Lake Park over the summer months.
This will start Monday May 13. Joe Lamb, Chair, Cultus Lake Park Board released a statement late Friday May 10:
As many of you know, the Cultus Lake Park Board members are all residential leaseholders at Cultus Lake Park. Like you, we are concerned about the recent criminal activity of cars and homes being broken into in our community.
The Board and staff are taking this situation very seriously. As a result, we have increased security in the Park this weekend. In addition, on May 13, Community Policing begins in Cultus Lake Park. This will increase security in the Park. You can read more about the Community Policing initiative here.
This challenge is not unique to Cultus Lake Park. I have been told by several people that other communities in the area are also seeing an increase in break-ins.
The new Cultus Lake Park Community Policing initiative will increase security in our community – and that is positive step. It is also important for each of us to increase our vigilance.
I looked for some tips to increase security around our homes and vehicles and wanted to share them with you. They are:
- Remove valuables from your vehicle and lock the doors;
- Set the car and house alarms at night;
- If you have motion sensor lights outside your home, make sure that they are on. If you do not have them, consider installing them;
- Close and lock all exterior doors of your home;
- Close and lock all windows of your home;
- Do not leave valuables unattended on your patio or deck; and
- Put up a sign warning that the area is under video surveillance.
The Board sees the increase in crime as a serious issue and it is a priority for us. We are confident that the new Community Policing initiative will help in this area and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
As a community, it is important that we work together to address the security challenges as we move into the summer months. We appreciate your awareness and vigilance in this area – and as a Board, we will continue to address the situation and to communicate with you about it.
Sincerely,
Joe Lamb, Chair, Cultus Lake Park Board
######
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) singed earlier this year, dedicated RCMP officers will be stationed at the Park from the May long weekend to the end of the September long weekend, providing law enforcement coverage during the Park’s busiest season. These officers will be deployed from a new Community Policing Office, located in the Visitor Centre at the Park. This is in addition to the current RCMP boat patrols. In the off-season, normal RCMP coverage will continue.
According to the MOU, the Park will reimburse the City 100% of the costs for RCMP members to perform dedicated policing services for the summer months.
Cultus Lake Park Board Chair Joe Lamb stated: “We heard from the Cultus Lake Park community that security around the Park is a priority. As a result, the Board and staff undertook an in-depth review of how we could do better in this area. This agreement is the result of that research.” He added: “This Board has clearly said that community building is an important part of our promise to the leaseholders of Cultus Lake Park. The new Community Policing effort is one component of how we are bringing that commitment to life.”
“Chilliwack City Council has made public safety a priority and has already committed to adding six new RCMP members to the Chilliwack detachment in 2019. Through this MOU, we will add a seventh RCMP member that will serve Chilliwack during the non-summer months,” said Mayor Popove. “Having dedicated policing services at the Cultus Lake Visitor Centre will eliminate additional travel time, making more efficient use of the RCMP members serving both communities.”
“I am pleased the City of Chilliwack and the Cultus Lake Park Board have come together in partnership with the Chilliwack RCMP to enhance the delivery of policing services for the Cultus Lake Park community,” said Supt. Bryon Massie, the Officer in Charge of the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment.
Security at Sunnyside Campground will continue to be managed by a third-party security firm.
