Constable Shannon White: dedicated to keeping Strathmore safe

Andrea Roberts
Times Contributor

 

There are many interesting and hardworking people in Strathmore community and Constable Shannon White of the RCMP is one of them.
White has been part of the Strathmore community for nearly five years, when she was sent here for her third posting. She immediately began to get involved in helping the town.
Originally, her aspirations of becoming a lawyer led her to pursue a degree in political sciences, yet she found her true calling with the RCMP 15 years ago.
Here in Strathmore, White was posted within the Crime Reduction Unit. One of the main parts of her job requires her to monitor habitual offenders upon their release into the community. White ensures criminals are abiding by the conditions they were released under, and liaisons with other police forces, including Calgary City police and Lethbridge City police. She said that crime doesn’t stay in boundaries and because of Strathmore’s close proximity to Calgary, which has over one million people, there is bound to be spillover. Therefore, communication between the forces is essential.
However, her effort to keep the town safe doesn’t stop there. She sits on the Strathmore Regional Victim Services Society board, teaches DARE (Drugs Abuse Resistance Program), and has started the Strathmore Neighbourhood Watch program.
The program stemmed from her work in the Crime Reduction Unit, that focuses on educating the public, preventing crime, and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity.
“In other areas where I worked I have started community projects similar to this,” said White.
“But essentially I want to get that education awareness out there.”
As White explains nobody knows their community better than those who live in it, the Neighbourhood Watch program consists of 19 community-involved citizens who act as an extra pair of eyes and ears for the Strathmore RCMP. White explained that one of the watch’s most valuable properties is their ability to educate the rest of the community on how to prevent crime and keep safe.
By teaching them small safety tips, they can spread the information to others. This including not leaving ladders lying around which thieves can use to enter the house, or leaving the garage opener inside the vehicle.
An eye-opener for White, was the mention of many people not knowing when to call the police or which number to use.
“Obviously if it is an emergency or a crime in progress call 9-1-1,” she said.
Since the program started, along with the educational aspect, breaking and entering incidents have decreased by 51 per cent and White believes spreading the word has played a major role.
The constable also represents her detachment on the board of directors for the Victim Services Unit.
“I have been with the RCMP for 15 years and I am very aware of what victim services does in supporting those people who are victims of crime,” she said.
“I believe wholeheartedly in the program and what they do for people.”
However, it’s the DARE program is one of her favourite parts of her job. She has been teaching the program since 2001 and for the past four years has speaking to Grade 6 students from Westmount Elementary School. White said the program expands beyond drug education and relies on helping children make good decisions. They are taught to weigh the pros and cons we make decisions every day of our life. The program consists of 10 classes and the children have a graduation upon completion. So far it has received good feedback from parents and teachers.
“I love the program, it is incredibly awarding and you get to develop a relationship with the children that you normally wouldn’t do,” she said.
While White has accomplished much in her short four years in Strathmore, she credits the people she works with. She compared her work environment to sports, saying that each person has their individual roles but they must work together to solve crimes.
She added: “Ultimately we all have the same goal to make and continue to keep Strathmore as a great place to raise children. We want to keep the community safe.”