Story:
Const. Bill McKenna has been named the Coast's new youth intervention officer -a position which partners the Sunshine Coast RCMP with School District No. 46 (SD46) in the goal of promoting safe schools.
"The main priority is promoting safe schools -doing that via prevention, intervention and education," McKenna said, adding that the RCMP's work in the schools includes responding to calls in the school system, assigning members as school liaisons and giving talks on things like Internet safety and bullying. "Building the relationships, educating the kids about the various aspects of criminality -it's all in the hopes of preventing crime, steering youth into different avenues and reinforcing them in a positive way."
He said, for example, that the RCMP's positive ticketing program re-enforces positive behaviour by providing young people with a free admission to local recreational facilities when they're seen demonstrating good behaviours, such as wearing a helmet while cycling.
McKenna, who has served with the Coast detachment for 3.5 years, replaces Const. Francine Moreau in this position. He said that building rapport with students is key to interacting with them when situations turn stressful or high-risk.
"They're more apt to talk to you and provide statements and things like that," he said. "So it helps tremendously, really."
Deborah Palmer, SD46 superintendent, said she's delighted to see the position of youth intervention officer continue, stating that it creates a real partnership between the school district and the RCMP.
"Say somebody goes for a hike and disappears and it happens to be a school-aged student. If [the RCMP] call us, we can connect with their group of friends and ask where were they going, do you remember them saying anything," she said. "So working together, we can provide information."
McKenna said he's also excited to take on these new duties.
"It's very different from the general duty policing," he said. "You get to work with the youth, you get to work with teachers and probation and different aspects of that. It's all good experience as a young member to build up your repertoire to move on within the RCMP as well."
