Saanich Police are transitioning their Block Watch program to a new membership management system aimed at improving communication and accessibility for neighbourhood leaders.
Starting in July, the program will use Member Impact – an all-in-one platform that allows users to access crime prevention resources, update participant lists, and receive alerts and newsletters through a secure portal or mobile app.
According to Saanich PD staff Sgt. Pat Mangan, this transition will ease the flow of information between neighbours and the department.
“What prompted the move was really the ability to streamline and create some efficiencies by having a centralized hub for volunteers… to disseminate information out and being able to do that quickly,” he said. “It really gives us the ability to do more with less.”
The new platform will also be more user friendly and intuitive than its predecessor, added Mangan.
“It'll give us the ability to just basically work smarter to disseminate information quickly and have information flow directly to Block Watch captains and co-captains,” he said.
Additionally, the switch will eliminate the need for paper records and streamline how information is shared between coordinators and the department.
The Block Watch program in British Columbia was launched in 1986 in response to growing concerns about neighbourhood crime. Modelled after a successful initiative in Seattle that reduced residential break-ins by as much as 60 per cent, the B.C. version quickly gained momentum.
By 1993, the Block Watch Society of B.C. was officially registered as a non-profit. Since then, the program has played a key role in lowering residential crime and helping neighbours feel safer in their communities.
According to Mangan, Saanich has participated in the program since the mid 90s and now includes 15 community associations and more than 10,000 members across the municipality.
Neighbourhood leaders are set to receive login credentials and a user guide by July 31. Anyone who hasn’t received access by then is asked to contact blockwatch@saanichpolice.ca.
