Kingston Police Community Volunteers celebrate 25th anniversary

Kingston Police wishes to specifically recognize the continuing altruistic efforts of the Kingston Police Community Volunteers (KPCV). This May marks a major milestone for the KPCV. They will have been serving the Kingston community for 25 years. Over those 25 years the KPCV have grown from 20 members to 70 volunteers. Prior to the pandemic the KPCV averaged 6,000-7,000 hours per year of volunteering within the community. A usual year, pre-pandemic, would also see the KPCV attending over 100 special events in the Kingston area as well as conducting general eyes and ears patrols throughout the community.

As the Kingston Police recognize the collective efforts of volunteers, we reflect on the multitude of actions taken locally to help people within our community and neighbourhoods become better prepared to respond to unexpected events, such as this past year’s pandemic, and better positioned for a more sustainable future.

The KPCV is on call 24/7 to respond to city wide emergencies and have attended to assist with such memorable events as the 1998 Ice Storm and the widespread power outage in 2003. They have also assisted in high profile missing person searches, most notably the search for Patty Ann Killingbeck who went missing in 2001. They were involved from the onset of the search and spent hundreds of hours over four years searching for the missing female. KPCV was dedicated throughout the process right up until the discovery of her remains, which assisted in bringing a sense of closure to Patty’s family.

During the summer of 2020 volunteers were working at an event in Confederation Park when they were approached by a Canadian Border Services Agent and asked to be on the lookout for a wanted individual who was possibly in the area. A short time later volunteers observed the wanted individual, reported him to authorities, and an arrest quickly followed.

On another occasion, KPCV were patrolling Rideau Street when they observed a large amount of smoke coming from a house. They discovered that there was an active fire inside of the residence and immediately contacted emergency services to attend. KPCV assisted at the scene while a resident of the home was rescued from a rooftop.

Some of the KPCV’s past and current responsibilities include:

• acting as the eyes and ears at Kingston Frontenacs hockey games
• conducting a number of Child I.D. clinics throughout the city and fingerprinting nearly 100 children
• assisting at child car seat clinics
• acting as the rear escort for numerous parades
• conducting Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) audits on local businesses and residences
• conducting speed radar surveys at locations throughout the city
• assisting Kingston Police at numerous serious collision scenes
• assisting the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) with meal deliveries to seniors who are unable to leave their residences
• being on call 24/7 every day of the year to assist police in missing person searches

The KPCV have been incredibly involved with community service events including the Special Olympics, Ride for Dad, Police Memorial runs and many other charitable walks and runs throughout the city where they have provided safe passage for the participants.

Kingston Police is extremely proud of the accomplishments of the KPCV over this past quarter century and, during this week especially, wish to express their sincere gratitude for the selflessness and dedication that the organization has brought to our community. Our volunteers, are an indispensable resource and it is important that they receive the recognition they so undoubtedly deserve.

For more information please visit the Kingston Police Community Volunteer’s website at www.kpcv.com.