Students with an interest in law enforcement are getting a sneak peak while receiving high school credit as part of the Coquitlam RCMP's Introduction to Policing course.
Many of the latest batch of graduates of the 2011 program have begun volunteering with the community police station and have taken on duties like the popular bike patrol program.
"The course was the best thing I've experienced in my high school career," said program graduate Rebecca Dingle. "I wanted to take the course because I was really interested in exploring the world of policing."
Students learn everything from how to conduct a roadside screening for impaired driving investigations to the basics of forensic investigations and fingerprint analysis. They also participate in a demonstration of emergency response tactics and learn from RCMP recruiting officers what it takes to join the national force.
The program, which is aimed at students in Grades 11 and 12, is recognized as a two-credit course in School District 43 and RCMP officers have run it on a volunteer basis for more than a decade.
"The volunteerism is what really makes the program a success," said Sgt. Farid Siddiqui, who has been involved in the course for the past 10 years. "Every year we get more Mounties interested in organizing and presenting and more kids are applying."
