Cornwall Youth In Policing Initiative ambassadors see a future in the field

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Several of the young ambassadors involved in Cornwall Police Service’s (CPS) Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI) say they can now see themselves pursuing a career in law enforcement.

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On Tuesday, the YIPI group, made up of students between the ages of 15 and 18, met for an exercise on the St. Lawrence College (SLC) in Cornwall, before heading to learn about the River Institute.

In its first year offered locally, eight promising young people from the community were selected after an application process to take part in the eight-week paid opportunity that offers hands-on learning experiences that emphasize the importance of leadership, teamwork and community involvement. The unique program strives to empower young people to make positive changes in their community, in their personal lives and in the lives of others.

“I definitely want to go into law enforcement. I would love to be a police officer and work my way up to the criminal investigation division,” said Rebecca Marleau, 16, a Grade 11 student at Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School (CCVS). “The one thing I’ve learned the most so far is how many different units there are (in law enforcement). I had no idea. If you don’t like one unit, there are so many others you can try.”

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So far, participants have attended Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) courses; first aid and CPR training; talked to a nutritionist; created hygiene kits for the Youth Wellness Hub; visited Agapè Center, Boys and Girls Club, North American National Travel College (NNATC) and other organizations.

Meeting with various CPS departments, the OPP and Canada Border Services Agency canine units, as well as attending the courthouse in Cornwall, the ambassadors have already seen different paths they could take to a career in law enforcement.

“I knew I wanted to go into … the police … but I didn’t know exactly what to do. If police officers come and talk to us about getting a special degree or going to police college, you can get hired faster, that gave me more of an idea of ​​what I can do and how I can get there faster.” , said Haevyn Boileau, 16, a student at St. Joseph Catholic, who is interested in working in the sexual assault unit.

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Sgt. Dave MacLean, Const. Dan Cloutier, Const. Pat Huygen and EDI Coordinator Farhana Meghji oversaw the program, which is funded by Ministry of Children and Youth Services and Cornwall and Area Social Development Council.

“I would consider that a huge success already in the first four weeks,” MacLean said Tuesday. “Our goal is to fully expose in the community how the police network is connected.”

MacLean said the ambassadors recently stopped by Cornwall Fire Services to learn about various devices and equipment and how each item is used. He said the group was looking forward to a presentation from Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services.

The ambassadors are excited to attend a YIPI forum in Ajax this week, where they will hear a series of motivational speeches and have the chance to network with other youth ambassadors from across the province enrolled in similar programs.

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At the end of the eight-week period, the YIPI Youth Ambassadors will host a community barbecue fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Cornwall/SDG.

“Hosting the first YIPI fundraiser showed how much youth can serve,” said Alexander Moussa, 16, a CCVS student. “We chose BGC because of the real local impact they have on the community…so we decided to go with them to try and support their summer programs. They are not funded by the government, so it will be nice to help them financially.”

To learn more about the CPS YIPI program, visit www.cornwallpolice.ca/careers/student-opportunities and visit the various Cornwall Police social media platforms. Each of the participants has been profiled on those platforms over the past few weeks.

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