The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday October 3, 2001 UNLIM ITED INC. MANUFACTURING & SALES Serving Southern O ntario Since 1988. Photo by Riziero Vertolli Halton Regional Police Sgt Joe Prasad (right) and Auxiliary U nit Staff Sgt. Linda Babcock. Auxiliary volunteers playing vital role in com m unity policing By H o w a rd M ozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF NO PAYMENTS, NO INTEREST D o n 't p a y f o r A s k f o r d e ta ils O N E f u l l y e a r -- L im ite d O .A .C . o ffe r tim e Linda Babcock hasn't made a dim e from her 11 years as a volunteer m em ber o f the P hone 9 0 5 - 6 3 4 - 4 8 6 9 Fax: 9 0 5 -6 3 4 -9 6 5 9 Halton Regional Police A uxiliary U nit, but she's easily lost count o f the rewards. Out o f town call 1-800-263-9631 Babcock, who is now an A uxiliary Staff Voted #1 Sergeant, is one o f the unit's biggest boosters Shutters Store! W I N D O W F A S H I O N S and she encourages anyone who is interested in serving to consider it. SHOWROOM HOURS: 10 AM-4 PM M0N.-FRI., 10 AM-3 PM SAT., OTHER TIMES BY APPOINTMENT "The interaction with the public, as well as the education and know ledge I 've received is p ric e le ss," says the m other o f two. "I 'm loving it every day." A uthorized to have 58 officers, the unit currently has 40 and is actively recruiting new members. To that end, inform ation sessions have been scheduled for Oct. 11 and 18 at police h ead q u arters, 1151 Bronte Rd., starting at 7 p.m. A ccording to Sgt. Joe Prasad, C o-ordinator o f Education Services, the Auxiliary U nit is a perfect fit with H alton's com m unity policing concept and helps blur the line betw een professional officers and the public. Martha's Landing, Burlington's newest retirement residence, "I t's no longer them and us," said has been designed with independent seniors in mind. Prasad. "We are the com m unity." Prasad can be reached by calling With only sixty units, our residents enjoy luxury and service 905-825-4720 or 905-878-5511 ext. in a personal environment. 4720. Unlike some unit m em bers - who range from a chem ical engineer to a Located in the heart of downtown Burlington, m inister - B abcock w as w ellsteeped in law en fo rcem en t life Martha's Landing is steps from everything!... and features prior to being sworn into the unit in 1990, at which tim e she w orked in everything you'll need to live a healthy happy lifestyle. security and was m arried to a police officer. M em bership in the A uxiliary U nit sim ply crystallized · 24 hour concierge and emergency response her enthusiasm and interest. · State-of-the-art life safety systems including fire sprinklers "It was everything that I expect ed, becom ing involved in the com · Nurse Manager to assist with personal wellness management munity and assisting regular service · Three nutritious meals served daily in our elegant dining room officers as required," said Babcock, who has been a m em ber o f the Blue · Snacks in the Lakeshore Cafe K nights m oto rcy cle club fo r 23 · Weekly housekeeping and linen service years. W hile the unit helps w ith traffic · Professional beauty salon duties and crow d control at such events as the Sound o f M usic and · Organized activities and outings W aterfront festivals, B abcock adds and more! that m em bership has also opened many other doors. "The unit is like being in an offi c e r's shoes w ithout all the form ality of being an officer," said Prasad. "M em bers are civilians who get to see all aspects o f policing in a uni form. The idea is not to replace reg ular officers, but to augm ent their ranks." A dds B abcock: "You get an undying respect for w hat regular officers do." According to Prasad, m em ber ship in the unit is not linked to being a specific kind o f person. In fact, people from divergent backgrounds only add to the mix. "B asically you have to be a good person ... and have an unblem ished background that w on't em barrass the service," said Prasad." Especially gratifying to her are the constant opportunities to m eet the public, have m ulticultural expe riences and participate in events she m ight otherw ise miss. "I t's actually a lot o f fun," she said. Babcock w ent on to say that the "extensive and excellent" training that unit m em bers receive is also first-rate. In fact, o f the nine origi nal A uxiliary recruits in her class, three are still volunteering after 11 years and three more are regular ser vice officers. O ver the years, 14 unit mem bers have m ade the jum p to the professional ranks. "W e're even thinking o f getting involved w ith the M arine U nit 2 1 0 9 Lakeshore Road, ju st east o f B rant S treet. now," said Prasad. Considering all the training involved, all th at's asked o f m em bers is a tw o-year com m itm ent, says Prasad. Those who do leave, but who still wish to volunteer can join Victims Services, or the C om m unities on Phone Patrol (COPP) Program , for example. The bottom line, though, is that those with a real interest in police work can find true cam araderie and fulfillm ent in the Auxiliary Unit, says Babcock. "They come out because they enjoy it." 1 2 5 4 P la in s R o a d E a s t, B u rlin g to n , O n t . L 7 S 1W 6 (Just east o f M aple Ave) Telephone today for a free estim ate Internet: http://w w w .shutters.on.ca LEVOLOR' HunterDouqlas ;n<non's P re m ie r Residence L S (y Rental Enquiries Invited Call todayfor yo u rp erso n al to u r an dseew h ysom a n y in d ep en d an t sen iors alreadycall M arth a's Landing H o m e ! 905 637-7757