hea See tT nee: sn oe PES, sere i&.... Risin aera fog ema } Se ae ee forethine o be iB east: ST They 1 look like RCMP officers. They even act like policemen. By GLENN WERKMAN Review Staff Writer They carry badges, firearms and wear uniforms identical to the regular RCMP members — except for an extra badge on cach shoulder. They’re not part of the regular RCMP forces. ‘They are volunteers who will donate more than 2,000 man hours to the community: this year. Each of the 14 RCMP auxiliary constables stationed at the Sidney. RCMP detachment donate at least 160 hours a year. Many donate more. Auxiliary members march in the Remembrance Day parade, assist with the bi-annual. air show, the annual bicycle rodeo, Christmas and Easter CounterAttack road blocks and help regular members during busy weekend evenings. And they come from all walks of life. “We’ve got professional pcople, laborers and students,” Cst. Brian Hodgkin said. He is a regular RCMP member in charge of the Sidney auxiliary program, . Helicopter pilots, B.C. Ferry. workers, mailmen and university Students are. all. part .of the auxiliary force at the Sidney detachment. For small businessman Steve Pelton, 46, the RCMP auxiliary program is the ultimate service. club. “‘As far as. I’m concerned I. couldn’t be doing more for the community than I’m doing now,” Pelton said. He is the veteran of the auxiliary force and was around ‘‘when there was .electric wind- -up sirens in black-and- whites with a cherry on top.” “Now everything. is monitored and is alot more efficient," he said. Pelton said the Sidney program is on n of the best in the province for two reasons. Because of its proximity to division headquarters _ in Victoria, Sidney is used as a guinea pig for anything new. And pro-auxiliary RCMP commanding officers help to. “We've . always.had keen members in charge of the auxiliary,” he said. .- A native of Sidney sees the auxiliary Program: as filling. a void for transient regular members. Mike Harvey, 23, joined the program at 19. “Regular members Q “= tend to be a closed society in terms of friends,” he said. ‘The - auxiliary is a good bridge: between the regular members and the oy community.” : Harvey: said: the peiorit. draws respect from people who now. ; » him. an FA It’s not uncommon to.run ‘across friends doing illegal things,” End “he said. ‘The next day, they: say hello.” . Mailman Graham: Orr, 28, was throwing’ cags during Halloween ef as a boy while Pelton was on patrol. Now the two joke about it. He enjoys being an auxiliary member but sometimes gets frustrated having to wait in the detachment coffee room for a regular member to take him out on patrol.. Auxiliary members must be under the direct supervision of a regular member at all times. “We're stuck doing whatever the regular member is doing,” Orr said. ‘‘But as an auxiliary you can get involved in all the glamorous things without getting stuck doing the paperwork.” Last year 1,785 hours were worked by auxiliary constables in various capacitics. They are trained in the law, self defence, firearms, police community relations, crowd control, crisis intervention, traffic control, first aid and disaster planning, But Hodgkin emphasizes the auxiliary program is to comple- ment the regular members, not to supplement them. Auxiliary members cannot hand out traffic tickets or drive police vehicles, But they still have some stories to tell. , During recent Halloween patrols an auxiliary member with a regular member got a call about a person driving around with ‘Roman candles. “We found him in a park. Just as he lit one he looked up and saw us and froze.” The Roman candle went off in the suspects hand, inside the car, causing some pain and teaching the recipicnt a lesson. Orr had a story about when he was on n patrol to James Island in the RCMP boat. While on the island the police had to leave the boat to seize a fallow deer from poachers and the senior officer with the portable radio handed it to the next officer to carry. He handed it to the next ranking officer, who handed it to the next until it came down the line to the lowest ranking officcr, Orr. _ The deer was also passed down the chain of command. When it reached Orr the radio came out of his floater jacket pocket, bounced twice and splashed... - “About $1,800 worth of radio down to the bottom, ” Orr said. “So -they’re taking it out of. my pay.” Auxiliary. constables must. be Canadian citizens S of good character, 21-56 years. old’ with. a high school diploma ¢ or equivalent. Men must be at least 5-6 and woman must be at least 5-2, with weight in proportion to height. Persons with a criminal record will. not be considered. : In March 50 people. applied for eight positions in the auxiliary ~ program in Sidney, Hodgkin said. “I don’t foresee needing anyone » for a- couple of years but we are putting names on.a list.” ~The: municipalities: of North Saanich. and Sidney contributed and You’ i Save Like _ the Dickens on our. waa. FULL LINE OF FORGET ENV LAVAWAY - PLAN AVAILABLE! o “Viscount WASHER & DRYER | - WASHER Modo! W681E DRYER Modal Deo1E 9 Wash/Spin.Spood combinations + Automatic dry ; ~§ WashRinse famporature combinations + § programs; Timad Normal, Auto Normal, Infinito wator lavel selections “ Aulo Perma Pross, Dolicate, Flutl 7 programs: Normal, Porma Pross, Extra Wash, Rinsa, Shor, Delicate, Spin Bloach dispansor Solf-lovalling rear logs. - Filter Flo wash s syslam, = Porwolans gnanol lop and teskot Colours: Whita or Almond . Delicate, Fluff + Rotary knob operation * Colours: Whito or Almond .. a gmp sth tetrad ba + 3 heat salactions: Normalema Press, REGULAR ‘1,1 60" 7 , nT ae TOADING » ‘A SUSPECT: into the back of a police vehicle during a staged demonstration fora Review. photogra- . pher.is Auxiliary. Cst. Bart Leppan, ont F xillary” RCMP constables who. volunteer their services from the ‘Sidney detachment. ; the he Waddling Dog ovory Friday and Saturday night in our now dining room, | ‘you'll enjoy a scrumptious buffet dinner. with a‘ wide 6 selection of hol and cold dishos, appotizers. and dossorte, followed by dancing to your old favoritos played by’ Strict : Tompo, formerly from the Empress Hotel. | = All of thia for only . Buffot from 6:00 p.m. Dancing ry . - ptarts.at 8:00 p.m., Reserve early -. to avold. no euadition as this” will panene a tradition. uh. At inet It's hore, So many of our customers hava aoked us to | ni hava a Sunday Brunch. We walied for our new dining room | “ve ond It's here starting this Sunday tr trom. snr00 am, to 2: 300 pm fy “You'll enjoy n huftet table tondad ~ > With a large selection of breakfant ~ and luncheon favourltes Include . Ing desserts praparad by. our own 2 Ministor Paolty Clive oe Only ons, mt por pron and Mount Newton X dela iH A RN leach hui pha bat EE ied eA it hla uae wld hii “Patricia Bay. highy CEO, a i AS i D ss \ Ube