THUNDER BAY - A program first started in British Columbia that aims to create a positive relationship between police and youth could bring many benefits to the city of Thunder Bay says one community ambassador.
“You are building those stepping stones to last for their life,” said Mike Tallari, a community ambassador and private citizen not employed by the Thunder Bay Police Service who presented the Youth Positive Ticket program to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board on Tuesday.
The Youth Positive Ticket Program was started by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Nanaimo, B.C. in 2003.
The program is a crime prevention measure designed to create a positive relationship between youth and police. Youth are given tickets for doing positive things, including safely crossing the street, wearing a helmet while cycling, or finishing their homework.
The ticket may also include a coupon for a partnering local business, as well as emergency and non-emergency helpline numbers.
“They look at these tickets almost like a trophy,” Tallari said. “The ticket itself is just the beginning. The really positive benefits of it is the long-lasting relationship and hopefully change that perception of policing in communities, especially with certain demographics.”
Tallari added that perceptions of police or law enforcement can be more strained within certain demographics, which is why having a positive first impression can go a long way.
“In all my studies and homework and speaking with other services, it’s no doubt that vulnerable populations in a lot of cities and communities have that negative take on police officers, both men and women,” he said.
“It’s statistically proven that there is more interaction between police and that vulnerable population. It’s more likely to be common in that population. As well as the Indigenous community. There’s that lack of trust or misperception of policing whether it be inaccurate media reports or misinformation out there and social media.”
Tallari referred to the 2018 Office of the Independent Police Review Director’s report that found systemic racism in the Thunder Bay Police Service at an institutional level.
“Trust isn’t broken or made overnight. It’s a process,” he said. “I think with the Thunder Bay Police Service it’s a stepping stone, it’s a starting block, and would help with the strategy they put in place to address the issues in the report and I think it would help the Thunder Bay Police Service more than other services because we are facing a lot of challenges in the community.”
According to Tallari, other police services that have employed the positive ticket program have seen reductions in crime in certain areas of a community. It also serves as a public awareness tool and helps with recruitment.
“This would be one more tool for police officers to have on them and make a positive impact and let the community know they are here to help them and are approachable,” Tallari said.
Members of the Thunder Bay Police Services Board called the program exciting and encouraging and asked police chief Sylvie Hauth to troubleshoot any issues with the program and report back to the board in one to two months.