I had been asked a while back to run the A/V equipment at our church for a rental tonight. It was a forum for our community to have an open dialog with the RCMP, their involvement in the community and assist them in setting goals for the next year. The event had been advertised in the Beaumont newspaper, on billboards here in town and in several of the churches. I was there early to help setup chairs and the a/v equipment and got to talk with the RCMP chief for our area and several other members of their advisory committee.

The turnout was very disappointing. I know the meeting was well know in the community as I talked to several people this week who all asked me to bring up issues, but they themselves didn’t have time. I don’t really understand how we can’t make time to have an impact in our community. If we aren’t happy with the way things are and have the opportunity to direct what happens, why wouldn’t we show up?

We had about 20 or so people including the committee that organized the event.
I found it interesting that the only people that showed up were those who had something to complain about. Many people weren’t willing to do something to resolve the issue, just complain. The officers requested the attendees to call in when they spot possible drug deals in progress, but many of the people just laughed and said that they have stopped calling as they felt that it didn’t help.
I’m blown away by what people think is important. The amount of “fuss” made about publishing stats on what tickets were issued and how many each week in the local paper. Even though these stats are published on the the RCMP local website, that wasn’t enough for some people – they wanted it published in the paper. They weren’t willing to help – just wanted to complain.
I was impressed however, but our local Corporal in town handled the attendees very well. I learned a lot about what is happening in town and the many initiatives the RCMP is working on even at the local level.
When we have the opportunity to help make a difference in our community, don’t miss it!