Winners >Corporals Al Vance & Jim Pratt, Constable Gerry Sonier

CERTIFICATES OF DISTINCTION

Corporals Al Vance & Jim Pratt, Constable Gerry Sonier
Regina Police Service
Regina, Saskatchewan

Corporal Al Vance, Corporal Jim Pratt and Constable Gerry Sonier have worked hard to organize overnight camps for in-custody First Nations youth. The camps, which are joint projects of the Regina Police Service and File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council, are designed to break the cycle of recidivism among First Nations youth through emphasis on First Nations culture and teachings.

While the camps are in session, the participating youth, who often come from environments characterized by criminal activity and extreme poverty, undergo an intensive process of self-discovery in the wilderness setting of Nekaneet First Nation, Saskatchewan. They learn to co-operate with one another as they "rough it" for the entire week in traditional teepees.

Police officers and aboriginal elders teach the young people the value of positive community relationships by leading them through activities like sweat lodges and traditional feasts. The main goal of these activities is to instil a sense of responsibility in the youths by showing them exactly how their actions affect themselves and the community.

The two cultural camps held for males in 2001 were so successful that the program was expanded to include a similar camp for girls - the first of its kind for female First Nations youth who have come into conflict with the law. These camps focused mainly on women's issues and were led by women and female elders from Nekaneet First Nation.

Corporals Vance and Pratt started organizing the funding for the camps in the year 2000. Constable Sonier, who is in charge of implementing future camps, joined them the following year. These officers have demonstrated a strong commitment to the project by living with participating youths on a 24-hour a day basis while camps were in session.

Contact person: Corporal Al Vance, Corporal Jim Pratt, or Constable Gerry Sonier
(306) 777-6500