SURREY Crime Prevention Society (SCPS) says it prides itself on engaging youth volunteers and collaborating with community partners in the City of Surrey.
On November 4, youth volunteers with SCPS and police officers with Surrey Police Service participated in a full day round table consultation forum. This forum focused on information gathering relating to youth experiences in Surrey and focused on the following areas:
• Youth Engagement with Law Enforcement
• Public Awareness and Education / Public Safety
• Volunteers / Community Safety Programs
• Mentorship – Youth / Community |Law Enforcement
• Community Engagement – Civic Pride
Officers and volunteers shared unique real life examples providing important details to both groups, enhancing their understanding of the current landscape facing youth today.
Here are a few comments from the youth volunteers on their experience at the forum with police officers with Surrey Police Services:
“Understanding how important it is to be concerned about your own mental health and being connect with your emotions, actions and thoughts. Additionally, to realize that this factors in for members of the police force as well’.
“This was an amazing forum that allowed me and other volunteers at our table to gain important information about the Surrey Police Service. The experienced officers shared valuable details of what they have been through in their role the importance of the right mindset when dealing with certain situations”.
“It was a great experience being able to sit down and talk with officers about several issues, whether it be from a volunteer or community representative”.
“I have gained new insights of my career path but most importantly, it changed my perspective of police. I found it comforting to connect with them in such a personal setting”.
The Surrey Crime Prevention Society said that the value of providing Surrey Police Service with a complete overview on the programs delivered by over 500 SCPS volunteers, demonstrates their level of commitment to community safety and their desire to work in collaboration with Surrey Police Service. “We want to thank the Surrey Police Service for the opportunity to participate in this forum and we look forward to future collaborations with them,” added the SCPS.
SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski said: “A heathy community is one where youth are engaged in positive activities, and they have a multitude of role models and examples in their home, school and community environments. Surrey Police Service recognizes that we have an important role to play in public safety through partnering with others to provide leadership and guidance to young people. SPS is a community based, community focused organization because we know that we can accomplish far more by working together than we can by working alone. Our vision is to work with others to ensure that we have a healthy community for this and for future generations.”
Surrey Crime Prevention Society has been in existence since 1984 supporting a variety of community safety programs. Since 2012, 3,229 SCPS volunteers contributed a remarkable 225,180 hours towards the enhancement of community safety. For more information on Surrey Crime Prevention Society and their community safety programs visit www.preventcrime.ca.
