Chilliwack – From dispatching their own emergency call to investigating a mock crime scene and watching a take-down scenario, athletes from the Gold River Senior Secondary girls basketball team in School District 84 got to experience and learn about various roles and tools used by police officers to investigate and solve crimes.
On January 27, 2020, fourteen young women ages 13 to 17 years old from Gold River and Tahsis,, accompanied by Vice Principal Jeff Rockwell as the teacher sponsor and support, participated in a youth training day at the BC RCMP’s Pacific Region Training Centre (PRTC) in Chilliwack.
We are so grateful for the RCMP for being able to accommodate such an incredible learning experience for these young women, some of whom rarely leave the island. The support of the community has also been amazing. A local mining company, Nyrstar made an $800 donation and the Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nation has donated $2000. The girls had also previously earned $1500 in exchange for leaf raking at the Gold River Lodge. With all of this community support, their trip expenses have been covered, making this experience possible, said the Honorable Brad Unger, Mayor of Gold River BC, who drove the bus for the ladies after their original bus driver broke an ankle.
Upon arriving at the mock crime scene, the students learned about how police officers clear the scene of any threats so they can proceed safely with investigating the crime scene. The young women learned about the responsibilities of police officers at a crime scene such as attempting to save a man’s life by administering first-aid and preserving evidence needed to further the investigation. They were also shown a demonstration on locating and seizing fingerprints left behind by suspects at a crime scene.
The final portion of the mock investigation included the search of a venue where a suspect responsible for the shooting was located and the students watched RCMP police officers conduct a high risk take down and arrest.
