Merritt’s Marlene Jones Kimberly Kelley, Victoria PD
Meet Marlene. She is the Community Policing Office Coordinator for the City of Merritt, a position she has held for the past four years. Marlene has a history of working in the police community, as she was a 911 operator in Kamloops for six years and then moved into the SED Major Crime Unit and held the position of database administrator. Marlene has also been a business owner, and gives back to her community through volunteering on the board of a shelter and support society, a youth organization and the local Rotary Club.
Block Watch has been running in Merritt since 2007 and they currently have ten registered Block Watch groups and two more are pending. Marlene’s goals for 2021 include encouraging residents to reach out and learn more about the program, with the hopes of them joining Block Watch, which would increase the number of groups in Merritt. She would also like to cultivate an environment that sees an increase in communication amongst Block Watch participants, the Community Policing office and the local RCMP detachment.
Marlene says there is a saying in Merritt “A lake a day as long as you stay”. And she has made it a personal goal over the past couple of years to find many of them. So if you know of any special spots in Merritt, reach out to Marlene; she may also just sign you up for Block Watch.