COMMUNITY COP TEACHING KIDS TO STOP BULLYING AND SAY NO TO DRUGS

Community Constable Rebecca Oxton is trying to educate Slave Lake
youth as to the dangers of bullying and drug use. She has arranged for
the youth activism group Robcan to come to town and spread its message
to the children enrolled in the Summer Splash at Northern Lakes College.

"Bullying in Slave Lake is an ongoing issue," says Oxton. "I've
attempted to take a proactive approach to bullying and drug use in the
community. I've arranged for the Robcan group to come up and put on a
week-long camp for the kids."

Sponsored by the Town of Slave lake, Robcan will be running from July
4-7, 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and will show the children how to have
fun without drugs and alcohol, emphasize respect, responsibility, and
the roles young people play in their community and families.

"It's a way to promote education rather than enforcement. With school
being out, it's a good time to do this."

Oxton receives a large volume of calls pertaining to bullying and
drugs from concerned parents and citizens. Dealing with bullying can
be especially frustrating for parents and constables alike. Children
under the age of 12 are pretty much immune to the laws and legislation
surrounding offensive behavior.

"I've received calls in regards to kids walking to school and being
picked on, pushed around, and bullied on the trails and hallways.
That's mostly what I've dealt with. I have offered, in numerous cases,
to mediate, but I haven't yet. Luckily, they resolve before it gets to
that point." "We do have a public harassment by-law that states no
person shall tease or torment any body else. Under the by-law, if
they're 12 and up, I can fine them."

The penalty for breaking Slave Lake's Public Place Harassment By-law
(#17-2003) is $250. That can be a tough pill to swallow but things can
get even worse.

"An issue with fighting can turn into an RCMP matter if there is an
assault or something like that," Oxton adds. "If it turns into a
physical altercation and falls under the criminal code, the police
will get involved."

Oxton and the Town are hoping that it doesn't always come to that.

"Robcan has been providing for summer camps for 11 years in Canada and
have a wide variety of activities. It's basically a fun-filled week
with an underlying educational message. They make the learning fun,
using games and fun to get a point across instead of saying 'don't do
this, don't do that.'"