Meet Today’s Sunrise Safety Team! –

Jenny, Cole, Kimberley, Abby, Kajol and Vanika

Local residents and business owners have likely interacted with our staff members in blue.

While their uniform and mandate has stayed the same, you may have noticed several new faces on the Sunrise Safety Team (SST). Initiated in 2008, SST is a joint program between the Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Centre (HSCPC) and Hastings North Business Improvement Association (HNBIA). It was established to address crime and safety concerns in the East Village Business District.

“Our businesses really value SST and their ability to provide resources to our community,” says Patricia Barnes, executive director at the HNBIA. The program is also supported by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and City of Vancouver.

Abby, Jenny, Kajol, Kimberley, Vanika and Cole currently make up the team. They contribute to the overall safety of the business district through proactive initiatives, including building strong relationships with merchants, property owners, customers, visitors and local residents.

“We always look for opportunities to strike up conversations with people in Hastings Sunrise. If we can add a safety component, even better!” says Abby, who has been part of the team for two years. “Just recently we noticed a car with valuables inside whose door wasn’t closed properly. We found the owner in one of the local businesses and let him know.”

In addition to providing a positive presence, SST members act as ears and eyes for the Community Policing Centre and local businesses, while educating businesses about crime prevention and reporting. The team also deals with safety and quality of life concerns as they arise.

SST members are deployed in pairs for each five-hour shift, six days a week, Monday to Saturday, at various times. SST members remain non-confrontational at all times, relying on their communication and conflict management skills when dealing with businesses and the general public. Complaints that are policing-related are looped back to the HSCPC’s Neighbourhood Police Officer for review.