National Police Week is about to be celebrated across Canada May 15 – 21 and RCMP offices across Prince Edward Island are taking part in various activities in their communities.
Policing is a complex job. Vowing to uphold the law and keep members of the community safe, officers are often seen as "penalizing" those who are charged or ticketed. In a perfect world, police officers would have little to do but unfortunately that is not the case. Arresting impaired drivers, notifying the next of kin of a collision that has just taken the life of a loved one, witnessing the collision aftermath before attending the notification, ticketing speeders, arresting drug dealers ~ all of these are in an effort to ensure that the people in Prince Edward Island are safe. BUT, not all of it is negative. Speaking to enthusiastic school children about safety or being a police officer, finding a lost person and bringing them home, having a positive impact on a life that has taken a wrong turn ~ these and other positive interactions balance out the negatives and create the pride that officers have as key parts of our communities and our society. Supporting these efforts and officers, there are a myriad of employees working in offices across the Island, all proud to be part of the RCMP family.
National Police Week began in 1970 as a way for police to connect with their communities and increase awareness about the services they provide. Community policing is at the heart of Police Week, as it's an opportunity for police and community members to get to know each other. The three RCMP policing Districts are holding community events and you are invited to drop by and say hello, maybe even get a photo or a snack!
Activities include:
Kings County: Kings District is focussing on speed limits and safety in school zones with concentrated education and enforcement to remind drivers of their obligations in school zones. Officers will be visiting schools in their District to consult with administration about any other concerns and mingle with students to talk about policing, safety and anything they might like to speak to police officers about.
Prince County: Prince District RCMP are hosting a BBQ at the East Prince office which is open to the public at 12 noon on Tuesday, May 16.
They will also have on hand their Police Dog Service team, members of the Emergency Response Team, Ground Search and Rescue staff, Recruiting, members of the Joint Forces Operations team and Federal Investigation staff.
Queens County: Queens District RCMP are hosting a BBQ / Fresh French Fries at the Maypoint office which is open to the public on Thursday, May 18 11:00 – 13:00. Uniformed members will be greeting the public - get to meet one of "your" District police officers. They will also have on hand their Police Dog Service Team, and the members of the Forensic Investigation Team will be giving demos on how the look for fingerprints.