SCHOOL LIAISON COP PLEASED WITH PROGRESS

Agassiz-Harrison's RCMP school liaison officer says he has forged a
good working relationship with students and faculty here during the
first six months of his tenure.

"Everybody has been very receptive," explains Cst. Cris Wortman., who
stepped into the full-time liaison appointment last summer, shortly
after the position was created as part of the amalgamation of RCMP
services in the Upper Fraser Valley. "This is definitely a proactive
position, and building relationships is what it boils down to, [to]
rid students of the perception of police as the bad guys."

Wortman, a 23-year RCMP veteran, also serves as liaison officer to
schools in Hope and Boston Bar. His duties include facilitating
police-endorsed educational programs such as DARE (Drug Abuse
Resistance Education), involvement in community initiatives that
revolve around youth, and providing a visible presence at local schools.

Last fall he organized a student/RCMP basketball game, which drew a
lot of participation and he also works with youth probation, the
transition society and violence prevention.

"You have to have pretty good time management skills but at this point
I have not had to say no to anyone," he says. "I go to as many
community meetings as I can, but within the first six months I'm just
scratching the surface."

He says his position is proactive rather than reactive as is often the
case with police work.

Wortman attended the intensive two-week DARE training course in
January so he could administer the 10-week program to grade 5 and 6
kids. The program delves into the harmful effects of drugs, tobacco
and alcohol, as well as the consequences of drug use. It also covers
peer pressure, building confidence and self-esteem and resolving
disagreements.

"It is so great that I feel disappointed my oldest [son] did not
receive the training in school," he notes.

Wortman says he has been getting a lot of support from the faculties
of local schools, and the students have warmed to his presence since
he started last year. They [schools] have been excellent, he says, to
the point he has been set up with an office at the high school where
he can do paperwork, do interviews, or meet with kids. And whereas he
might have been met with wary stares by students last September, he's
now getting greetings, smiles and handshakes.

"I think it is just about being somebody people and kids should be
willing to approach whether they have problems or not," he explains.
"It can be as little as just going into the playground at recess and
just talking to the kids."

Wortman says the most serious problem here is with drugs, although it
is not as severe as it is in a community like Chilliwack. He made one
arrest last October after witnessing a drug transaction involving
students outside the Agassiz Public Library.

"But we are pretty blessed in this community. After working in
Chilliwack for just over year, I think we are pretty fortunate here.
It's not to say we don't have a problem, but just on a smaller scale."