Stratford citizen patrol looking to expand

P.E.I.'s first citizen patrol group is looking for new members.

Established last year with the assistance of the RCMP, Citizens on Patrol in Stratford haveserved asadditional eyes and ears for local RCMP every Friday and Saturday night, patrolling the back roads and business parking lots of their community.

Mostly they are watching for property damage, graffiti, underage drinking and drunk drivers, but they have reported some more serious crimes, including a group stealing diesel fuel from trucks in the Stratford industrial park.

"You get to know the back of Stratford. I would say after three or four months, we have a pretty good idea of where these hot spots are and where to go," one volunteer told CBC News.

Members of the patrol asked not to be identified because they fear retaliation.

RCMP Const. Tara McBride helped set up the program.

"It makes a great deal of difference because they act as the eyes and ears of the community," said McBride.

"They can be there to see things that we can't always be here to see."

The seven members of Citizens on Patrol would like to boost their numbers as they head into their second year, keeping watch over their community every Friday and Saturday night.