There’s a new security presence setting up to patrol the alleyways and dark corners of Downtown Vernon.In addition to the Vernon RCMP and city bylaw officers, private security guards will soon be walking the beat six days a week through the city centre.The 
Downtown Vernon Associa-tion (DVA) has hired two B.C. Commissionaires to walk the area around the downtown parkade, Cenotaph Park and alleyways for six days a week on a 60-day trial. The program, which has been dubbed Security Plus, is a response to vocal concerns from local merchants about public safety downtown and the apparent lack of law enforcement.“We understand the RCMP cover all of Vernon. We understand they can’t be downtown all of the time,” said 
DVA president Malcom Dunn. “Our members have clearly said, ‘there could be more of a police presence in the downtown.’”The focus of the security force is to patrol during the prime commuter periods in the morning and at night, Dunn said. The goal is to ensure that employees and shoppers feel safe on the streets, he said.“Some of our members and merchants have been feeling unsafe since the city removed the human presence from the parkade,” he said. “We’re just responding to that.”Once the 60-day trial period is completed the security guards will be presenting a report of what they witnessed, said DVA executive director Earl Hansen. 
The guards will also co-ordinate their activities with the RCMP, Hansen said. But they won’t be there to enforce any laws, he said.“They do have skills in dealing with people who sometimes stray from what is considered acceptable behaviour,” he said.The Commissionaires were scheduled to start walking through the downtown on Thursday, a day ahead of the DVA’s Festival of Christmas Traditions on Friday. In its 2006 operating budget the DVA set aside $30,520 for “safety” expenditures. Dunn would not comment on how much of that total would be spent on the new security detail.“It’s not cheap,” he said.If there is a noticeable decrease in drug use and criminal activity in the downtown area, Hansen said the DVA will consider making private security a permanent presence downtown.
Downtown Vernon Associa-tion (DVA) has hired two B.C. Commissionaires to walk the area around the downtown parkade, Cenotaph Park and alleyways for six days a week on a 60-day trial. The program, which has been dubbed Security Plus, is a response to vocal concerns from local merchants about public safety downtown and the apparent lack of law enforcement.“We understand the RCMP cover all of Vernon. We understand they can’t be downtown all of the time,” said 
DVA president Malcom Dunn. “Our members have clearly said, ‘there could be more of a police presence in the downtown.’”The focus of the security force is to patrol during the prime commuter periods in the morning and at night, Dunn said. The goal is to ensure that employees and shoppers feel safe on the streets, he said.“Some of our members and merchants have been feeling unsafe since the city removed the human presence from the parkade,” he said. “We’re just responding to that.”Once the 60-day trial period is completed the security guards will be presenting a report of what they witnessed, said DVA executive director Earl Hansen. 
The guards will also co-ordinate their activities with the RCMP, Hansen said. But they won’t be there to enforce any laws, he said.“They do have skills in dealing with people who sometimes stray from what is considered acceptable behaviour,” he said.The Commissionaires were scheduled to start walking through the downtown on Thursday, a day ahead of the DVA’s Festival of Christmas Traditions on Friday. In its 2006 operating budget the DVA set aside $30,520 for “safety” expenditures. Dunn would not comment on how much of that total would be spent on the new security detail.“It’s not cheap,” he said.If there is a noticeable decrease in drug use and criminal activity in the downtown area, Hansen said the DVA will consider making private security a permanent presence downtown.
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