UNews - Lethbridge Regional Police Service

Campus Security adds bike patrols

caroline.zentner — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 21:09:00 +0000

Security Services at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has added pedal power to its transportation options, thanks to a donation of four used bicycles from the Lethbridge Regional Police Service (LRPS).

Lethbridge police Const. Braylon Hyggen, right, poses with U of L Security Services representative Dale Fyfe at the start of bike patrols on campus.

The bikes, which had been destined for the auction block, allowed the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to start up a bike patrol program at a much-reduced cost. The bikes have been in use since the beginning of the semester and provide Security representatives with a faster and more environmentally friendly method of getting around campus. Whether for parking enforcement or for safety patrols, the bikes and their riders have been getting a workout.

“The bikes give us more opportunities to interact with students and other people who use campus,” says Bob Muskovich, manager of Security Services. “It’s much easier to take in what’s going on around you on a bicycle.”

Security representatives who want to make use of the bikes receive training from an officer assigned to the LRPS Bike Patrol Unit. Those who have signed up to use the bikes are excited about the program and the new travel option they provide, he adds.

Muskovich says the bikes have also led to additional savings because Security vehicles aren’t being used as frequently.

City declares local State of Emergency

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:28:42 +0000

Friday, June 21
8:45 a.m.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will remain open during the current City of Lethbridge local State of Emergency. For more information on the flood situation, visit the website www.lethbridge.ca or follow @LethbridgeCity on Twitter.

Thursday, June 20
4:18 p.m.

The local State of Emergency remains in place for the City of Lethbridge but the effect on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is negligible.

All paths to the river bottom area from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ have been closed but the U of L remains open and all programs are operating as normal.

Continue to monitor The City of Lethbridge for updates as to possible road and bridge closures.

2:57 p.m.

The Staff Appreciation BBQ for those who assisted in flood recovery scheduled for 3 p.m. today has been postponed due to the current local State of Emergency.

2:52 p.m.

The City of Lethbridge continues to monitor water levels. As of now, bridges across the Oldman River are open and expected to remain open.

2:22 p.m.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will remain open during the current City of Lethbridge local State of Emergency.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is advising faculty, staff and students who need to collect their children due to the closure of schools and daycare facilities to do so.

Please monitor the City of Lethbridge website (www.lethbridge.ca), and local media for updates on the local State of Emergency and the possibility of bridge closures. In the event that notice is given by the City of Lethbridge that bridges will be closed, those who live on the other side of the river are advised to leave for home at that time.

1:03 p.m.

The City of Lethbridge has advised residents to prepare for the possible temporary closures of the Whoop Up Drive and Hwy 3 bridge crossings. Officials will give notice in advance of any closures. The water is estimated to be peaking at approximately 5 p.m.

Many city schools are beginning the process of closing and have been advised by the City of Lethbridge to close by 3 p.m. today.

12:35 p.m.

The City of Lethbridge declared a local state of emergency at 12:09 p.m. Thursday, June 20 in anticipation of a possible flood of the Oldman River valley.

"We have officially declared a local state of emergency," read a message posted on the City of Lethbridge news website. "This means that we are working hard to ensure that resources are available to ensure safety in the river valley. We will update as more information becomes available."

As of 12:35 p.m., both the Whoop-Up Drive bridge and Hwy 3 bridge crossings were open to traffic.

Officials have closed river valley parks, the Bridge Valley Campground and local news sources report that the Lethbridge Regional Police Service has begun to evacuate residents of lower Paradise Canyon.

The city is also calling for volunteers who might want to help remove artifacts from Fort Whoop-Up. Those wanting to help can report to the City Hall foyer. They will be bussed in and out of the river valley.

Red Nose back on the roads

trevor.kenney — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:39:10 +0000

A year after setting program records for total rides and money raised, Operation Red Nose (ORN) is on the road again for Pronghorn Athletics.

Operating under the slogan, Let Rudy Take the Wheel, the Horns will be participating in their 18th Operation Red Nose, a countrywide initiative aimed at curbing drinking and driving by chauffeuring partygoers and their vehicles home safely.

The program is an annual win-win for the Horns and the southern Alberta community. Run by volunteers and supported generously by community sponsors (such as insurance providers Alpine and Intact Insurance), rides are free of charge to users, with donations accepted. In the end, the program works as a major fundraiser for Horns Athletics and takes numerous potentially unsafe drivers off the roads.

This season, with new Alberta blood-alcohol content regulations in effect, it's expected Operation Red Nose will be utilized more than ever.

"You're really going to need a big volunteer base to cover the demand," says the Lethbridge Regional Police Service. "It's a fantastic program. We have people out on a designated check stop all throughout December and we'd rather have them not find an impaired driver than to have someone who could have used Red Nose come through our stop and get charged."

Sandy Slavin, the director of Sport and Recreation Services, says the push for volunteers is ongoing.

"I would think we need upwards of 800 volunteer slots that need to be filled," says Slavin. "That can include one person filling two or three slots but by the end of the day, there are 800 slots to fill, which is pretty substantial, especially closer to Christmas when the majority of our athletes have headed home."

The first weekend of ORN proved projections right as 170 rides were provided by 90 volunteers on the first two nights of operation. That translates to a 13 per cent increase from last season's opening weekend. By the end of the third week of operation, ORN had given out 875 rides and remained on pace to smash last year's record totals.

Slavin has been pleased to see a number of alumni returning to campus in recent years to help with ORN. She notes that it often just takes one experience with the program for people to get hooked.

"You really do feel good at the end of the night, that you've given something back to not only the Horns program but to the community," she says. "We are finding that more and more of our alumni are coming back and that's how they support their team and their university."

Operation Red Nose operates every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from Nov. 30 through New Year's Eve. To volunteer, contact Horns Athletics at 403-329-2681. To access a ride, call 403-320-4155 from 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.

This story first appeared in the December 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Operation Red Nose campaign begins

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:23:16 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's annual Operation Red Nose campaign begins Friday, Nov. 26, the first of five weekends and 12 total nights the popular designated driving program will operate in the city.

This is the 16th year that the U of L has offered the program and in that time, more than $380,000 has been raised in support of Horns Athletics. More importantly, countless lives have been saved because thousands of drunk drivers have not been behind the wheels of their vehicles.

The Lethbridge Regional Police Service, the U of L Students' Union, Horns Athletics, the Insurance Bureau of Canada and the City of Lethbridge are all in staunch support of the program. Keith McLaughlin, the VP Academic of the Students' Union says the annual campaign is vitally important to students, teaching them positive attitudes towards the use of designated drivers. Essentially, he says, it's key to drive the message home when drivers are young and they're more apt to be smart about drunk driving the rest of their lives.

"We believe the educational awareness component of Operation Red Nose is the most beneficial aspect of the campaign," says McLaughlin. "As a society we can enact tougher and tougher legislation but drunk driving, I don't think, can be eradicated by legislation itself. I think we need to change our societal attitudes about this type of behaviour and we do that through education and awareness."

Red Nose is a designated driving program whereby a team of volunteers (60 to 70 per cent of which are U of L students, mainly Horns athletes) brings a vehicle to your locale. They drive your vehicle home and you and your party get to ride along. There's no charge for the service but donations to Pronghorns Athletics are accepted.

Operation Red Nose begins the weekend of Nov. 26-27 and continues through the Christmas season, including: Dec. 2-4; Dec. 9-11; Dec. 16-18 and Dec. 31. To call for a ride, dial 403-320-4155. Those interested in volunteering can call 403-329-2681 for more information.

Security Services beefs up its web presence

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:44:42 +0000

With the advent of a new semester, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Security Services is launching a new and improved website to better serve the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

The site, at www.uleth.ca/security, is designed with the user in mind, meaning it is much more interactive and informative than its previous version.

"Our previous website just did not provide the depth of information we need it to provide," says Director of Security and Parking Services, John O'Keeffe. "This is a much more interactive site that allows you to register for programs such as Safe Walk and Working Alone, while also giving you much more information about the services we offer."

The website is much easier to find than its predecessor and, for the first time, spells out just what people should do in the event of emergency situations that may arise on campus.

"We felt this was one of the most important aspects of the website," says O'Keeffe. "We've provided what amounts to a reference guide for a variety of emergencies, something that is easily accessible and allows people to turn to in a time of need. It's not always easy to think straight during times of crisis, and this is the first time people on campus have had something to refer to if an incident takes place."

The website also highlights two new partnerships entered into by Security Services, with Crime Stoppers and CarPool.ca, respectively. The Crime Stoppers initiative actually debuted in the spring and provides two-way communication concerning crimes and crime information that may affect the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its community. It has proven to be very successful in enhancing the partnership the U of L has with the Lethbridge Regional Police Service and provides another layer of security on campus.

CarPool.ca is a green initiative that supports local carpooling, allowing students the opportunity to find carpool partners in their community.

"Many universities across the country have already partnered with CarPool.ca and it is a positive program on many fronts," says O'Keeffe. "It promotes the idea of less cars on the road, which helps the environment, and also lessens the stress and the costs for those who have to commute to campus."

Drivers beware of radar

trevor.kenney — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:54:25 +0000

Lead feet beware; radar and photo radar is coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus.

The Lethbridge Regional Police Service has received complaints about speeding vehicles on the U of L campus, specifically on Valley Road, the entrance point to campus off the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Drive and Columbia Blvd. intersection. As a result, police will be using photo radar and conventional radar along this roadway to monitor and enforce the posted speed limit of 50 km/hr.

Speed limits on ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ property are defined under City of Lethbridge Bylaw 3499, and are fully enforceable by the police. Drivers on campus are urged to be aware of the posted speed limits on campus roadways and parking lots.

Community value in Operation Red Nose

trevor.kenney — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:02:24 +0000

It's the red light drivers actually look forward to seeing around the holidays.
Operation Red Nose, the national designated-driving service celebrating its 25th anniversary, will hit the roads for the 14th year here in Lethbridge, thanks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Pronghorn Athletics.
With that longevity comes a level of recognition in the community and an expectation that as the snow flies and the holiday cheer flows, the Red Nose tradition is renewed.
"You can't help but recognize the big red vests," Pronghorn track athlete and longtime Red Nose volunteer Jim Steacy says.
"I have people asking me in September when we're going to start up again. A lot of them wish we did it all year."
Created in 1984 in Quebec City, the program offers holiday revelers the opportunity to be driven home in their own vehicles, free of charge. While donations are readily accepted, and for Pronghorn Athletics that amounts to some $25,000 per year, the essence of the program is providing a valuable service and connecting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with the southern Alberta community.
"This was a perfect program," Sandy Slavin, executive director, Sport and Recreation Services, says of its inception in 1994. "It was a great way for us to get out and give back to the community that contributes so much to us."
While the financial impact on the program has become substantial over the years, Slavin says if it were just a money matter, the program could probably devote its manpower to a more lucrative pursuit.
That, however, is not what providing Red Nose is all about.
"If you broke it down, it's a lot of work per hour, but when you look at everything else you get out of it, the service in the community, the recognition in the community, it becomes a very valuable fundraiser for us," she says.
Knud Petersen, past president of the Pronghorn Booster Club, says it took some doing to get the first program launched.
"It was a lot of work and a lot of convincing people in the beginning," Petersen says, noting taxi companies were initially against their proposal.
But Red Nose has proven to fill a void the taxi companies could not address and it has meant fewer impaired drivers on roads.
"I think it's a fantastic program," Jeff Haley, government affairs manager for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, says. The Bureau is a major national sponsor.
"I can't really speak to the numbers (of people it takes off the road) but the commitment we have made to this each of the last four years is simply because it makes a difference."
The Lethbridge Regional Police Service agrees.
"It absolutely does make a difference in our community," sergeant Craig Deimuth says. "It once again gives people another option of how to get home safely after an evening of celebrating the Christmas season.
"Everybody is always concerned about leaving their vehicle behind but with this option, where not only they but their vehicle can get home safely, it's a fantastic program to have available."
Staffed by more than 600 volunteers (all of which are screened by the police service), the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge program connects Pronghorn Athletics to the community in a unique and personal manner. For Steacy, it's a great way to show off the Pronghorn logo, making the volunteer hours worth the work.
"I know the tournament teams — the rugby, track and field and swimming teams — realize that this is our main source of income as far as funding goes," Steacy says.
"But beyond that, it's kind of an honour to be part of a program like this. I'm helping people out, giving them a safe avenue home."

UNews - Lethbridge Regional Police Service

Campus Security adds bike patrols

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City declares local State of Emergency

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Red Nose back on the roads

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Operation Red Nose campaign begins

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Security Services beefs up its web presence

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Drivers beware of radar

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Community value in Operation Red Nose

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