The Sun Youth Bike Patrollers were officially sworn in on May 31^st at the Montreal Police (SPVM) Headquarters in a ceremony overseen by SPVM representatives including Chief Inspector Vincent Richer. This year 23 patrollers, including 4 teens on patrol, will be assigned to 9 Neighborhood Police Stations all over the Montreal Island. This public ceremony represented the beginning of Sun Youth’s 35^th annual summer Bike Patrol. The patrollers will work closely with local police stations across Montreal and the West-Island for a period of 10 weeks, starting on June 3^rd and finishing on August 9^th, 2019.

The Bike Patrol’s presence on streets and bike paths and in parks and playgrounds of the Greater Montreal will emphasize a sense of safety and community. The patrollers represent a diverse group of young people who have an uncommon desire to work hard at bettering their community. Trained in first aid and other public safety skills, the patrollers will also deliver different seminars on public and bicycle safety, and will be a presence at festivals, community events, and fundraisers for local organizations throughout the summer. Wherever they are, they will act as the eyes and ears of the Montreal Police.

This annual program would not be possible without the support of private businesses and different levels of government. The 35^th Edition of the Bike Patrol is made possible by the Federal Government as well as the Quebec Ministry of Public Security. Local businesses also make an indispensable contribution to the Bike Patrol, including Dorel Industries, who supply the durable mountain bikes used by Sun Youth’s patrollers throughout the summer. Additionally, Toyota Gabriel General Director Nazih Chemali will provide the patrol with an administrative vehicle. The Sun Youth Bike Patrol is also made possible by financial support from the Gustav Levinschi Foundation.

The Sun Youth Bike Patrol team for PDQ 1 (Baie-D’Urfé, Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Senneville) from left to right: (front row) Bike Patroller Philippe Roy, West-Island Supervisor Robert Parsons, Bike Patroller Teresa Galvan, (back row) Crime Prevention Coordinator Jonathan Caisse and Bike Patrol Coordinator Abdel Rouchdi. Photo: Caroline Viger-Lazare.