By Karen Barbee.
It’s a Win, Win.
In this small community of Crestone, Colorado and the Baca Grande people take care of each other. Inevitably, when a community member expresses a need for help and support someone will step up and say, “I can help with that”. It can be a flat tire, stuck in the snow, getting old stuff to the dump, giving out Good Cheer bags, working to get the Food Bank up and running, clearing trails, helping someone through a hard time, notarizing legal documents, keeping each other safe and much more. There are many people and organizations who contribute to the well-being of others. One such organization is the Peace Patrol.
The Peace Patrol formed when COVID hit and a group of citizens, with a concern for the unknown of the future, realized the community was under-policed. From that concern, the idea of Peace Patrol was born and to this day continues with a group of volunteers offering their skill, time and heart for the good of the community.
This group is diverse, each offering what they can and want to in order to support the mission of the Peace Patrol. In essence each person brings the strength and skill they have gained from life lived. There are grandmothers, boy scouts, former police, military and more.
There are Peace Patrol members who respond directly to a call and go to the place where help is needed, there are those who wear the green Peace Patrol vest and walk around events interacting with people and there are members who are behind the scenes helping in less obvious yet equally important ways. Community members support what Peace Patrol does and have been known to stand alongside a Peace Patrol member. An example is the time someone attending a local festival started to give the Peace Patrol member grief after being asked to treat an animal with care, asking “Who is Peace Patrol anyway?”.
Community members noticed and went to stand with the Peace Patrol member saying, one after the other, “I am Peace Patrol.” “I am Peace Patrol.” “I am Peace Patrol.” The community holds respect for those of the organization who hold respect for them, both taking care of each other’s safety.
Make no mistake, Peace Patrol is not a self-appointed doer-of-justice vigilante group. They are, as implied by their name, peacekeepers. They aim to be a shining light, keeping community members safe from those who intend harm. They help the homeless stay warm. They encourage those who pose a threat to move along. They are a presence that lets people know what we value here in this community is respect and care of one another.
Peace Patrol does work with, but not for, the sheriff.
In a county where there are a limited number of law enforcement officers, the Peace Patrol helps by being available for more of the neighborhood problems. It is something akin to Neighborhood Watch on steroids and can be held up as a national model for the future in how to navigate situations in a community, reducing the need to involve police.
While Peace Patrol is available to respond, it is essential the community understands that if crime is afoot, first call 911 and Peace Patrol second. Peace Patrol may be reached at 719-315-4117.
Peace Patrol is always looking for volunteers. The meeting is held at 5 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month at the Cloud and is open to anyone, including those who are interested in learning more and volunteering.
For those who choose to get involved, it is an opportunity to learn the lessons and skills of being a peacekeeper and to make real Rumi’s saying: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
Peace Patrol strives to follow the 42 ideals of The Ma’at Code of Conduct, from the native African people of Egypt and representing the concept of balance and order.
As a thank you for all they do for the members of the Crestone/Baca Grande community, the Peace Patrol was chosen to receive the Fourth of July Pie Contest donations in the amount of $514.