A local security company is offering a free safe walk program at Christmastime for people wary of walking in the dark to their parked vehicles.
Jeff Giesbrecht, owner of Tri-West Security, said many of his security guards are former firefighters, police and military members who want to give back to the community during this period of short daylight hours.
He was concerned after reading about a 20-year-old woman who was abducted from Gasoline Alley in 2014 as she was leaving her job at the Holiday Inn. She was forced into a car at knifepoint, made to withdraw cash from a bank machine, and was sexually assaulted.
Giesbrecht said his staff want to prevent something like this from happening again by accompanying solitary workers to their vehicles.
Although the security guards will respond to calls for assistance throughout the year, his company is focusing on the Dec. 22 to 25 period. “It’s when people are working late to make extra money for the holidays,” said Giesbrecht.
He added the Christmas Safe Walk is primarily aimed at those who are working late. His security guards will not respond to calls made from bars or private residences, said Giesbrecht, since they don’t want to deal with intoxicated individuals or police matters.
Calls for assistance can be made to the hotline 403-896-5768.