For more than 25 years, the Comox Valley Citizens on Patrol Society (COPS) has been watching the community鈥檚 streets and neighborhoods, as well as acting as the extra eyes and ears for the RCMP, to help deter crime in the Comox Valley.

Statistic show that drivers are 3.6 times more likely to crash if talking on the phone or texting while driving.

鈥淒espite increased awareness and enforcement efforts, many drivers still aren鈥檛 getting the message about the dangers of distracted driving,鈥� said chief superintendent Holly Turton, BC Highway Patrol. 鈥淓very time a driver takes their eyes off the road, they put themselves and others on the road in danger.鈥� From 2017 to 2021, nearly 40 per cent of police-reported crashes resulting in injury involve distracted driving as a factor. At least one out of three B.C. drivers admit to using their cell phones upon occasion while driving. Studies have shown that drivers who are talking on their cell phone lose about 50 per cent of what is visually going on around them. Drivers are five times more likely to crash if they鈥檙e using a hand-held device.

Members of the Comox Valley Citizens on Patrol Society do a variety of different things to keep crime down in the area. The COPS van can often be seen along the roadsides monitoring speed, documenting distracted drivers, and observing activities in local parks or high accident-prone sites. COPS has been asked to monitor several streets with suspected speeding, including school zones. COPS patrol from Fanny Bay to Oyster River documenting vehicles and watching for suspicious activity.

The Comox Valley Citizens on Patrol Society is always looking for more volunteers. The next annual general meeting will be held on Jan. 28, 2024 at 1 p.m. To become a member or to attend the AGM, please contact COPS at cvcops@telus.net or call 250-897-1443. Digital applications can also be requested via email or phone.