“Neighborhood watch on steroids” coming to city

BREMERTON — They’ll be in the neighborhoods. In the parks. In the marina. In stores. Around schools. Armed with only a radio and an eye for injustice, the Bremerton Police Department’s new volunteer program isn’t just neighborhood watch — it’s “neighborhood watch on steroids.”

BREMERTON — They’ll be in the neighborhoods. In the parks. In the marina. In stores. Around schools.

Armed with only a radio and an eye for injustice, the Bremerton Police Department’s new volunteer program isn’t just neighborhood watch — it’s “neighborhood watch on steroids.”

At least, that’s how Tom Danaher, a retired Navy captain who’s leading the program, described it.

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“We’re gonna be another set of eyes; another set of ears,” Danaher said. “This program is good for our community, it’s gonna be good for Bremerton, it’s gonna be good for the people of Bremerton.”

Officially called the Bremerton Citizen’s Auxilliary Patrol (BCAP), Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan said its purpose will be to patrol the community and report crimes to police.

“BCAP will be helping us to provide services for our residents we don’t provide today, (it’s) intended to supplement and support, rather than supplant, sworn officers and civilian staff,” Strachan said.

The program will cost the city about $20,000, said Capt. Tom Wolfe.

All volunteers must be at least 18 years old and pass a criminal background check.

Volunteers will be expected to patrol at least twice a month for four hours. They will patrol in pairs via car, bike or on foot.

If they witness a crime during a patrol, they’re to radio police, not make contact with the criminals.

“No enforcement action is to be taken by a BCAPS volunteer, at any time,” Strachan said.

Danaher hopes the program can begin patrolling before June.

But first, he needs to find recruits to don the official black and yellow patrol uniform.

“If we can have patrols in the street on a month I’ll be happy,” Danaher said.

He also said he’d like to see the patrols focus on checking the homes of deployed servicemembers or people on vacation.

Anyone interested can contact Joe Sexton in the Community Resource Office at 360-473-5231 or sign-up for an initial screening.

 

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