Yellowknife (Jul 05/06) - Smashed windows was what drove Terry Hauff to patrolling Yellowknife's streets.

Hauff, a volunteer with Citizens on Patrol Service, was fed up with the number of times his property has been vandalized.

A bashed-in car window, a pellet shot through a window in his home and a mirror on his car smashed by vandals were enough for Hauff.

He was one of the first patrollers on the inaugural run in February 2003.

"The RCMP can't be everywhere," said John Carter, head of COPS in Yellowknife.

And that's why the group is looking to hold a July training session for new recruits.

COPS is a volunteer organization under the umbrella of the Wellness Coalition.

Volunteers patrol the city at least twice a month, mostly on weekends, and report unlawful activity.

This can include anything from assaults or domestic abuse to people who are so intoxicated they are a danger to themselves and others said Carter.

Carter said he has seen a lot during patrols - for instance, a man was so intoxicated he was walking down the middle of Franklin Avenue into oncoming traffic.

"The RCMP got to him before he got hurt," said Carter.

Volunteers receive around eight hours of classroom training to teach them what to look for. It could be anything from a lack of licence plates on a car to people who are acting suspiciously late at night.

COPS volunteers will then call the RCMP and write an incident report, similar to those written by police officers

COPS will provide assistance during road stops and act as backup observers in the case an RCMP or municipal enforcement officer responds to something like a vehicle pullover alone.

To complete the training, volunteers must participate in a ride-along with an RCMP or municipal enforcement officer, followed by one with a veteran of COPS.

Volunteers work in pairs of two and are not allowed to get involved in whatever incident they report.

The possible exception to this rule is if the COPS patrollers are the first to arrive at the scene of an accident or find a person in need of medical assistance.

"It hasn't happened yet," said Carter.

Since the program's inception, the 14 members of COPS have gone on hundreds of patrols, with the top volunteer hitting around 85.

At least one patrol is done each evening on the weekends, even in the winter.

The point of COPS is to help the RCMP and municipal enforcement division by adding extra sets of eyes and ears, said Carter.

"We get out and give the RCMP a hand," he said.