NV ACMP PROGRAM Volunteers hel NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP spend much of their time looking for criminals. But every once in a while police look for peopie who are willing to help others who have become victims of crime. By MICHAEL BECKER News Reporter The help comes through the detachment’s Victim Assistance Program (VAP). The program needs more volunteers. The VAP was established in the spring of 1984 to provide a follow-up sup- port service to crime victims. Five nights a week, teams of communi- ty volunteers contact victims to of- fer assistance and listen to their concerns. On a more basic level, a call from a VAP volunteer simply lets a victim know that someone cares and that the individual’s case is being addressed. North Vancouver RCMP detachment Const. Sheita Arm- strong has been the VAP coor- dinator since November. The pro- gram presently works with 17 vol- unteers, but Armstrong would like to see that number doubled. North Vancouver City and District have been supporting the program since 1984 and in the past few years have contributed about $6,500 annually. The RCMP cover Armstrong’s salary and also pro- vide office space and supplies for the volunteers. The Solicitor General’s ministry provides funding for 34 similar police-based victim assistance pro- grams. But the North Vancouver program, one of the first to be es- tablished in the province, operates independently. Said Armstrong, ‘“*When the province came out with funding, we refused the money for fear of discontinuation of funding somewhere down the line.”’ The locai volunteers work from police files including residential break and enters, sudden death cases, assaults, suicides, missing people, and obscene or threatening telephone calls. ‘“We also do any- thing a member specifically refers to us; for exampie, we’ve handled fatal motor vehicle accidents,”’ Armstrong said. Calls to victims are made by volunteers working in teams of four. “‘They’re given the basic in- formation from the file and then they call the victim to ask them The permanent beauty and life of your rugs depends mostly upon the care they receive. They require expert attention! Protection and Preservation for Rugs Efficiency and setect element, centratized within our company, makes our service very econo- mical + providing definite advan- tages to you. Cleaning of Rugs Every rug requires proper yearly cleaning by means of washing by experienced persons. NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP Victim Assistance Program volunteers Gerrie van Ooyen (left) and Donna MacDougall (right) recently gave a presentation to a North Vancouver group of residents involved in the Blo-& Watch program. The two volunteers gave information about a film cover product used to coat window enier thieves. how they’re doing. With B&Es we will do home security visits. We also offer court appearance ac- companiment where necessary. We offer grief counselling referrals, legal advice referrais and home se- curity referrals,’’ she said. The volunteers handle an average 115 break ana enter files, eight sudden death files, and 15 spous2l assault files every month. Armstrong said most victims receiving the calls are pleased and surprised by the follow-up. ‘‘Some have been very greatful and others are pleasantly surprised. The pro- gram has really, really helped some and that’s the point of it all,’’ she said. Gerrie van Ooyen began volun- teer work with the program in March. ‘‘There’s a lot of satisfac- .tion in that you’ve helped some- Our Persian process of cleaning is the only one of its kind in Western Canada. 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LTO. 733-5616 2219-2221 Granville St. Vancouver beds insult PAGE 38 | GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES | IN LOWER MAINLAND 37 - Sunday, August 27, 1989 - North Shore News