About Us

The Manitoulin Northshore VCARS is a community based service, which assists police in providing confidential short-term emotional support and practical assistance to victims of crime tragic circumstance and disaster.  Community volunteers provide for the victims' immediate needs and supply referral information to existing community services if longer-term care is required.

Crisis assistance is given  by specially trained community volunteers who are on call to all police services in the Manitoulin Northshore Area, including Manitoulin and Espanola OPP, Wikwemikong Tribal Police, UCCM Anishnaabe Police Services, Espanola Police Services, and Sagamok Anishinabek Polices Services, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  Assistance is offered to victims of crime (i.e. assault, break and enter), tragic circumstance (i.e. death notification, car accident) and disaster (i.e. fire).  On consent of the victim, the attending police officer calls on the volunteers to render whatever emotional support is needed.  Volunteers may provide transportation to emergency services, help clean up, make phone calls, or other arrangements on request, etc.  If the victim has longer-term needs, the volunteer will provide information and referral options for further assistance.

The objective of the service is to lessen the trauma of being victimized, help the victim cope with the impact of crime or tragic circumstance, and encourage victim(s) to connect with other services for counseling, financial assistance, housing, medical, or legal services, as appropriate.  This service allows police to attend to other crises more quickly.  If also provides an opportunity to become more involved in dealing with the effects of crime and in mobilizing crime prevention efforts in their area.

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