KERRISDALE OAKRIDGE MARPOLE COMMUNITY POLICING CENTRE: Helping Keep Kerrisdale Safe Story by Sarah Gordon
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Vancouver’s west side is fortunate to have the Kerrisdale Oakridge Marpole Community Policing Centre. The KOM CPC relies on a volunteer base committed to helping prevent criminal activity while being a positive, proactive bridge between the neighbourhood and the Vancouver Police Department. The KOM CPC dates back to the late 1980s when the Oakridge area experienced an increase in crime. The neighbourhood’s police sub-station had closed down and the community lacked a visible police presence. In the late 1990s, the Oakridge Seniors’ Centre and the Marpole Oakridge Area Council Society had similar goals, to help improve community safety and crime prevention. The Vancouver Police Department prompted the two groups to work together and assigned a full-time constable to the area.
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The Marpole Community Policing Centre opened in 1999. In early 2000, thanks to volunteer efforts, it extended to Kerrisdale. The KOM CPC is located on East Boulevard near West 44th Avenue. It is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The VPD uses the office around the clock as needed. Kate Molloy is KOM CPC’s new executive director; she has been with the non-profit organization for six months. Kate arrived in Canada two years ago from her native Ireland. She has an M.A. in Public Advocacy from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She says, “This is a big part of why I work in community-based organizations.”
February 15 - April 15, 2021
KerrisdaleInsider.com
