Nine Semiahmoo Peninsula students got an up-close look at policing recently, when Surrey and White Rock RCMP invited them to be police officers for a day.
"It was so fun," said White Rock RCMP Const. Janelle Shoihet of the event. "They each got their own sort of experience from it."
Shoihet and South Surrey RCMP Special Const. Susan Caley hosted the students, aged five to 12 years, on Feb. 8, introducing them to a wide variety of policing aspects.
The day started at 8 a.m. with a "challenging but doable" obstacle course. That was followed by a trip to the White Rock detachment, where the students received and dressed in their "uniforms" – kid-sized Red Serge. They were then fingerprinted and photographed, had a tour of the detachment – including the prisoner cellblock – got to check out a police vehicle and were introduced to detachment commander, Staff Sgt. Lesli Roseberry.
The young officers conducted some radar enforcement on Pacific Avenue, then headed to the South Surrey RCMP office where Const. Troy Derrick treated them to a ride on an ATV.
At the main Surrey RCMP detachment, the students met Const. Danilo Amoranto of the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, who introduced them to his team's vehicles, tools and weaponry; and Chief Supt. Bill Fordy – who they quickly nicknamed "the Big Cheese."
A highlight for many of the students was meeting police service dog Timber and his handler, Const. Kent Wagner. They also got to visit the Surrey RCMP Operations Control Center, where they saw and heard how dispatchers deal with a crime.
"It was a very full day… the best day," Shoihet said.