When I attended a USCG Aux. meeting in Crescent City in January, I was impressed by Lt. Scott Parkhurst”s presentation of CAN, Citizen”s Action Network in the Thirteenth Coast Guard District. CAN is a tool, composed of ordinary citizens who have joined with the Coast Guard, to detect suspicious activities in and along the Pacific Coastal Waters as well as assist in search and rescue. Basic equipment ?binoculars to observe the shores and coastal waters and a telephone to report observations.
Can this idea be extrapolated to areas other than coastal? Yes. There are CAN organizations across the U.S. Without becoming another Lake County organization, citizen awareness can be developed along these lines.
How can citizen vigilance work? Again, my one plus one theory, if enough people report violations, perhaps violations will decrease as violators are apprehended. Report what you see or sit on your tush and say how terrible!
Document and report traffic violations: speeders, cell phone users, passing on yellow lines, tailgating, DUI, crossing over centerline.
Drug use: report suspected drug houses, meth labs, use of a hallucinogen and unusual congregations of people.
Neighborhoods: cars driving “too” slowly through your neighborhood, night driving without lights, strangers on bikes, questionable solicitors, unknown “greenbelt walkers, ” graffiti showing up.
Firearms: Suspicious carrying or use.
Dumping: on roadway and private property.
Unsafe boating/water activities: use of alcohol and erratic driving of boats.
Realizing, no matter how good a police force is, it cannot have eyes and ears everywhere at all times. Observe what is happening around you.
Leona M. Butts
Lakeport
