YIPI Success

Another successful run of the Youth In Policing Initiative (YIPI) concluded at the end of August. The students could barely contain their excitement as they received their certificates during the graduation ceremony. 

It seems like just yesterday that we wrote about the start of the 2018 YIPI journey and were welcoming these students to the program.  Read our July news story here.

The program was established to allow officers to strengthen the bond and become mentors to the youth in our community, as well as allow youth to explore policing as a career path.  Over the years, the program has grown from 10 students in 2009 to 25 students this year.

“The community benefits greatly from the program because the students are selected locally,” said Detective Sergeant Mark Dapat.

Over a period of eight weeks, the students were provided with an employment opportunity that allowed them to obtain training and participate in a wide range of activities, all facilitated by officers. Throughout the course of the program, students toured some of the specialized units and got a sneak peek into the inner workings of the organization.

We have created a video which includes moments from the graduation as well as students sharing their thoughts on their YIPI experience.

“I’d say the two months I spent here were amazing. I met awesome people and went through some amazing experiences,” said recent graduate Bradley Plewes.

Watch the video here to learn more about the YIPI program and the many ways we are engaging our youth please visit our website.