Six dozen Tri-City youngsters are new graduates of the Coquitlam RCMP's Junior Mounties Police Academy, a program that teaches youths real-life policing skills.
Fingerprinting pointers, a handcuffing how-to, interrogation tips and witness interviewing were all part of the Junior Mounties' four-day curriculum, which wrapped up Aug. 5 with a visit from the RCMP Air 1 helicopter. The chopper dropped in on the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex parking lot, where more than 700 spectators and volunteers gathered to congratulate the junior recruits.
The Junior Mounties program is part of the Coquitlam RCMP's youth outreach initiative that aims to foster positive interactions between young people and police.
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart praised the Junior Mounties program at the ceremony for the graduating recruits.
"This program does a great service not only for the participants but also for the whole community's understanding of the issues of policing," Stewart said. "And it was obvious that the participants had a blast."
