It’s all about connecting and interacting with the community.
These are just some of the priorities for the new community police officer in Tsawwassen.
Const. Geoff Young has been in charge of the Tsawwassen District Community Police Office for only six months, but already he is feeling right at home.
Young has been with the Delta Police since 2009, after two years with Transit Police and is in his 15th year of policing.
He has been a patrol officer and in the traffic unit prior to starting in community policing.
Young took over as the officer in charge of the Tsawwassen officer after Const. Lee Chapman was moved to the North Delta office.
“Being six months into this, I’m learning every day,” said Young. “I’m relying a lot on the volunteers that have returned. We opened the doors again in September to the community offices, so I think the awareness that we are open again is really starting up again. It is really getting that word out that we are open, that we want to be that first line of connection for the community.
“Aside from being the station constable in charge of these volunteers is to make connections with the community and address community concerns. People can come in and talk. My goal is to let people know I have an open door…I’m all ears.”
One recent positive interaction was Young taking part in a Zoom meeting with residents in Beach Grove following a recent spate of theft from autos.
“From that meeting, some people that may not have reached out and spoken with me, I had one resident reach out seeking assistance on setting up their security cameras through our website, so now we have opened up that line of communication in the Beach Grove area,” Young said. “Six months have gone by in a heartbeat. I don’t think I have ever enjoyed coming to work so much as I have in the last six months. I think this role was for me. It just took me 14 years to get here.”
Volunteers work closely with the officers in charge of the three District Community Police Offices in Tsawwassen, Ladner and North Delta in programs such as Community Crime Watch, Speed Watch, Cell Watch and Bike Patrol.
DPD are looking for more volunteers. If you are interested in applying see: https://deltapolice.ca/joindpd/volunteer.
