Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award 2010

---

Previous

Narrator:

On the move.

Pushing boundaries.

Redefining our world as they define theirs.

They are Canada's young people.

Most cops know that they can be one of the most challenging groups to deal with.

It's a tough job.

And while young people need to be held accountable for the decisions they make, sometimes all it takes is a bit of guidance to help them find the right path.

Canada's youth criminal justice act recognizes the need for new approaches in dealing with young people and the criminal justice system.

It has created new opportunities for law enforcement outside of the formal court process.

Opportunities for changes in attitudes and approaches.

Opportunities for innovation and creativity.

Opportunities to make lasting impacts on the lives of the young people they serve.

These contributions cannot be underestimated.

All across Canada, in rural communities, towns and cities, police officers have answered the call, and are helping young people make smarter choices, create better lives and build stronger communities.

In the process they are making new connections with their communities.

They are creating profound impacts and leaving lasting impressions.

They are truly making a difference.

The Department of Justice, in collaboration with...

...the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police...

...presents the Minister of Justice National Youth Justice

Policing Awards.

The recipient of the Two-thousand-and-ten

Certificate of Distinction is...

...Constable Todd Snooks of the York Regional Police for his involvement in the ECOTRIP program.

ECOTRIP provides mentoring, wilderness training and personal skills development to at-risk youth between the ages of fourteen and seventeen.

Participants are given a rare opportunity to discover and develop their individual capacities to team-build and to lead.

Constable Snooks was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the ECOTRIP program.

In his caring approach to helping rehabilitate troubled youth, he volunteers on the program's steering committee, participates in wilderness trips, and serves as a participant mentor.

The recipient of the Two-thousand-and-ten Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award is...

Deputy Chief Gary McGuigan of the Charlottetown Police Service.

We take youths and we team them up with a brood mare 6 to 8 weeks prior to the mare's foaling.

We teach them a little bit about general horsemanship.

We give them a Reader's Digest version of safety around horses and we go through the pregnancy cycle with them, what signs to look for.

The kids are responsible for looking after the horses; feeding, grooming, cleaning out the stalls, tidying up the barn and anything else that's associated with their horse.

So, it gives the kids a chance to bond with the horse, to build trust between them and the mare.

It's giving them some self esteem, it's giving them some work skills, it's giving them, you know, a chance to get away from some of the pressures that they're feeling, outside, that there are other things that you can do with your time other than you know, use drugs and hang around with, you know, rough people.

They get a connection with Gary, so now they have someone at the police station they know.

And then when the mares do foal, the kids go from a caregiver role to a teacher role, because, then they work with the foals; showing the foals things that they haven't experienced before.

Everything they do is a first.

Brushing the foals, hand feeding the foals.

You know, leading, touching.

So you know, the kids seem to enjoy that part of it and you know, they have already gained the trust of the mares and the mares trusts them around her and the foals, so the kids feel good about that.

For the hour, the two hours, the three hours that they're here, they're just kids, you know and the horses take them at face value.

The horses have no motives; they don't judge the kids.

They just want the kids to be caring.

They want them to be to be compassionate.

They want to be able to trust the kids and vise versa.

When you look at community involvement within our city, within our broader community, Deputy McGuigan is certainly the type of individual that's right there in the forefront.

He's really thrown himself into this.

He's utilized the connections we have with our outreach people, identified the kids and bring them in.

He's done yeoman's work in putting this together.

Gary and his family put a lot of effort into these kids and it has made a difference.

We're trying to get kids off probation, make the streets a little safer and if its one kid at a time that we're kinda doing that, then that's the way we'll do it.

And so far this program, kids have really taken to it.

You know, if you tell a kid to go to the business end of a horse and brush it's tail, its very intimidating.

And when you show them that and you go and do it and make them feel safe about it and show them how do it, or when you pick a horse's foot up and show them how to clean it and you know, a week or two later they can do it on their own, it's very empowering for children to be able to do that.

They feel very good about themselves.

So, he's just taken this totally on his shoulders, brought it to the forefront.

And it's a great, great program.

We've had great success with it and we just hope that it keeps going.

I mean horses are just one option.

There're lots of police officers out there that have lots of things to share and it's just a matter of doing it.

It doesn't necessarily have to be horses.

It can be anything.

Kids, you know, really, the kids we deal with, they appreciate anything.

To the winners...

and to every police officer across Canada who makes a difference...

Thank you for what you do.

Previous