The efforts of Prince George Citizens on Patrol volunteers were acknowledged by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia on Tuesday.
The province's motor vehicle insurer issued a note of thanks for their volunteer contribution of more than 300 hours to the Speed Watch program in 2013, using radar guns and speed-reader boards supplied by ICBC to show drivers the speed they're actually travelling.
According to ICBC, over 70 per cent of drivers travelling 10km/h over the speed limit slow down when they see a speed-reader board. Police are also often on the scene to issue tickets to drivers who don't slow down after seeing their speed on the reader board.
In 2013, volunteers in Prince George also handed out 1,200 notices through the ICBC lock out auto crime program. The notices resemble parking tickets and were put onto the windshields of vehicles, many with valuables in sight, offering drivers tips to protect themselves from becoming victims of auto crime.
They also operated the stolen auto recovery program and checked roughly 18,500 vehicles in 2013 to look for signs of theft and help identify stolen vehicles. Last year, volunteers throughout the province helped recover over 160 stolen vehicles.
In Prince George, there has been 83 per cent decrease in vehicle thefts and 91 per cent decrease in vehicle break-ins since 2003.
"Our volunteers truly make Prince George a safer place to live and their dedication to road safety is remarkable," said ICBC road safety coordinator Diana Pozer.
For more information on Citizens on Patrol or to learn about crime prevention, go to www.communitypolicing.princegeorge.ca. As an alternative, contact the Prince George RCMP's Community Policing Office by calling (250)561-3366 or dropping by the office located at 575 Brunswick Street, Prince George.
