COPS BACK IN CLASSROOM WITH KIDS

Kindergarten students at Lincoln elementary school in Port Coquitlam
got a lesson in policing and safety Friday.

Students in Karolin Phillips' class learned about stranger danger and
even got to try on some of the equipment police offers use, including
handcuffs and bullet-proof vests.

The kids also got a chance to role-play with RCMP auxiliary constable
Francisco Grajales, 20, about being in potentially dangerous
situations, telling them to shout "No" and to run in the opposite
direction when someone they don't know approaches them or gives them
candy.

It's the second year Coquitlam RCMP auxiliary constables have visited
local elementary schools to talk to kids about being safe. Last year,
volunteer Mounties spoke to students at 17 out of 43 elementary
schools in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam as part of an educational
campaign.

"It's an introduction for them to police officers," said Cpl. Doug
Francis, who is in charge of the detachment's school liaison unit.
"It's very important that they have contact with a police officer at
a very young age so that they can get comfortable with us."

While kindergarten kids learn the basics about policing, students in
Grade 3 are taught about bike safety and those in Grades 4 and 5
learn about bullying. RCMP usually teach Grade 6 students about
substance abuse and Grade 10s the dangers of careless driving.

Coquitlam RCMP's school outreach program will be expanded in
September, with at least one regular full-time member dedicated to
the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, which was
scrapped locally in 2002 because of the manpower shortage due the
Robert Pickton murder investigation.

* Coquitlam and PoCo teachers who want a visit from a Coquitlam RCMP
auxiliary officer can call the detachment's school liaison unit at
604-945-1550.