Role a perfect fit for women of The Watch
By Sam Leishman - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on April 5, 2025.
Herald photo by Scott Sakatch
Watch members Viviane Ferreira, Tashiah Robbins and Faith Doré on the job in Downtown Lethbridge.Learning more about their community, social connection and personal empowerment have made The Watch a perfect fit for two female volunteers.
The Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) launched the program back in the spring of 2019 to expand social outreach over a wide area of the downtown. Volunteers dressed in matching red shirts or jackets patrol on foot, providing safe walks, information, first aid and any other assistance someone might need. They are not responsible for any law enforcement.
A little over 20 volunteers are currently part of The Watch, yet only four are women.
Pippa Goodfellow is one of those few women. She has been volunteering since the very beginning.
Goodfellow had no criminal justice experience when she joined nearly six years ago. Rather, she was and continues to be guided by her sense of community spirit.
“Watching the evolution of the program has been inspiring to me, and that’s why I’ve stuck with it,” Goodfellow said. “It’s not just dealing with the vulnerable population downtown, but it’s also offering services to everybody. That could be business owners, tourists coming into town and needing directions, pushing people out when they’re stuck downtown in the snow. Being a part of that support network fills my cup being a member of this community.”
Though she would never disregard the outstanding work of her male counterparts, Goodfellow has noticed over the years that women like herself do tend to be seen as more approachable. It’s a strength that drives her to create a safe and inclusive environment with every interaction.
As she’s now nearing her 60s, Goodfellow adds that she is endlessly encouraged by the caring and thoughtful young people that she serves alongside.
That includes Faith Doré. The 23-year old has spent two years with The Watch as she’s working toward a career in policing.
She has tried volunteering with other organizations, but Doré says she was missing the kind of social belonging that The Watch instills in her. She has a strong desire to help others and feels a sense of pride being the first point of contact for those in need.
“I don’t want to say I’m a social butterfly, but I do thrive on human connection and interpersonal communication,” Doré told the Herald. “It’s different from just showing up, saying hi and moving on. You see someone in distress or needing help and actually talk to them. I feel like actively listening has been something that I’ve been able to capitalize on, and that helps people open up.”
Doré agrees with Goodfellow that women play an important role in the service that compliments their fellow male volunteers, yet they’re often underrepresented. She thinks that some women might negatively associate The Watch with policing and end up avoiding the opportunity.
Both Doré and Goodfellow hope to inspire others like them to boldly give The Watch a chance.
“If people are downtown and they do have questions, anybody would be more than happy to answer them,” Goodfellow noted. “If I didn’t think it was a worthy program, I’d find somewhere else to volunteer. I don’t see an end to it in the near future.”
Doré echoes that sentiment, adding that “the opportunity to find and feel purpose in the small things in life is special”, and that’s something she’s certainly found for herself during her time with The Watch.
The LPS recruits volunteers on an annual basis. Applications are currently being accepted until Aug. 5. The application form and further information about volunteer requirements can be found on the LPS website.
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I am sure they are dedicated people but I believe the money would be better spent on Peace Officers who can enforce laws and move people along.
I know from personal experience when they come to a business where people are camped out at our front or back doors, the Watch comes by talks to them, gives a few fist pumps, hands out water and doesn’t ask them to move to another location to hang out and leaves. The people continue hanging out on the business property and a couple hours later, the Watch drives by again, stops talks and a hand shake and some more water handed out, the Watch leave again, while the people remain.
To me, this sounds like a non-profit, who is there to hand out water, ask how they can help, provide some first aid if needed and call first respondes if needed. We have non-profits doing this already. The Watch will not move people along as we have seen more than once around our businesses.
I have not seen the exact amount it costs for this program, but there are not just vounteers, but paid members and managers and one figure I heard at one council meeting a couple of years ago was around $1 million.
We have non-profits doing similar work and the Watch is not allowed to do any form of security type work or move people along, although they do provide a few safe walks and can provide Narcan and CPR until first responders arrive, but so do the non-profits.
If you cannot allow the Watch to move people along, then that money would be better spent on Peace Officers, who can also work overnight, when most of the crimes happen. Or, let them move people along! Many of these people are Criminal Justice students and have had specialized training in protecting themselves and dealing with situations so they can deal with the issues.
Right now, the Watch funding could be better spent on people who can help to clean up the crime on our streets! We already support non-profit groups who are doing the same job, so you are overlapping services at our cost. The Watch is under the LPS, and an arm, it is not a non-profit agency!
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