Sustainable communities

We will initiate and support efforts to create a healthy built environment in which all people throughout the region enjoy access to a diverse range of housing options, remain safe in the face of emergencies and experience a high quality of life.

Proactive community safety

While we often consider our police as the bastion of public safety, community safety is something that each resident can proactively champion.

The Regional District Crime prevention program effectively takes this to the grassroots neighbourhood level. The program provides crime prevention awareness and information in the electoral areas, City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, District of Lake Country and District of Peachland.

And it’s making a great impact on neighbourhoods across these areas of the Central Okanagan. Our coordinator works with crime prevention minded volunteers belonging to the West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland community policing societies to deliver programs like Citizens patrols and Speed watch. Each initiative involves trained and security cleared volunteers who act as eyes and ears in their communities, providing information on suspicious activity to local RCMP for appropriate action.

Another crime prevention program that involves residents directly is the highly successful Block Watch. Its success is in its simplicity. Block Watch allows neighbours to watch out for each other and get involved in discouraging and preventing crime at the street and neighbourhood level. Neighbours may be the first to know when someone or something suspicious and unusual is going on and report it to the RCMP. By working together, neighbours can actively prevent crime in the most effective way – before it happens. Block Watch participants not only learn how to be more aware of their neighbourhood, but also how to make their homes less inviting to thieves, how to prevent auto theft and how to recognize and report suspicious activity. So far more than 139 Block Watches are up and running in West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Lake Country, Peachland and electoral area neighbourhoods. Training and support is provided by the Crime prevention coordinator.

And a major crime prevention initiative continues on the westside of Okanagan Lake. Business Watch is a partnership involving the RDCO Crime Prevention service, Greater Westside Board of Trade, City of West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation and RCMP.

Modeled after the highly successful residential Block Watch, Business Watch brings business owners and their employees together to watch for and report any suspicious or criminal activity to each other and when required to the RCMP, while stepping up their safety and security measures.

Businesses that register and display a Business Watch emblem receive specialized crime prevention program expertise at no cost. Individual security assessments, target hardening tips and ongoing access to information help employees and customers continue to feel safe and secure.