The Midway RCMP Community Consultative Group (CCG) ran the annual Policeman for a Day program with the Grade 7 students from Greenwood and West Boundary Elementary Schools earlier this month.
Each year the students compete for a chance to ride along with police for a day by preparing an essay, poster or media presentation on a theme given them by community members and participating in an interview. The number of students chosen will vary from year-to-year, depending upon the level of student participation – usually between two and five students are chosen to participate for the day.
According to RCMP Victim Services Program Manager Cathy Riddle the idea behind the project is to draw attention to issues of peer pressure that youth may face as they transition into higher grades.
“RCMP Members have viewed this as a positive experience for both parties,” said Riddle. “It can be used to show how police work is often difficult, but there can be fun and rewarding side when working with the community.”
The youth experience what happens on a typical day of investigation and courtroom testimony needed to bring the “bad person” to justice.
This year a mock car accident scene was created in Midway. After investigation by the four student-Mounties - KJ Taktsang and Ronnie Puno from Greenwood Elementary and Trinity Shipton and Ebony Spalek from West Boundary - the driver was charged with drinking and driving at the scene.
The overall theme of 2013 was preventing the abuse of drugs and alcohol.
The jury found the “accused” guilty at an afternoon mock trial in the Greenwood courthouse.
The program is sponsored by the Midway Community Consultative Group in cooperation with the Kootenay Boundary Regional RCMP Detachment- Midway Office, West Boundary Highway Rescue and the Midway unit of BC Ambulance.
CCG holds regular meetings, giving participants the opportunity to air community concerns and work on solutions with the local RCMP detachment.
For more information call Cathy Riddle at 250-445-6693.