New Program Set Up At Elementary & High Schools Oliver-Osoyoos RCMP Staff Sergeant Kurt Lozinski says the new school liaison program, which co-ordinates visits to the elementary and high schools by local officers, is about building trust between youth and the police. "I want the youths to see us as people, friends, fathers, mothers, and not just as police officers. I want the youths to have trust and confidence in the police," Lozinski says. In addition to the DARE (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) program, which places officers in the elementary school to teach a 10-week program to Grade 5 students, Lozinski says the school liaison officers will attend the schools on a regular basis. [continues 587 words]
Penticton Crackdown Pushes Criminals South To Oliver & Osoyoos Osoyoos RCMP Staff Sergeant Kurt Lozinski agrees with Penticton's Inspector Dan Fudge -- criminals are feeling the heat due to stepped up enforcement in that city's crime reduction strategy. But while the recently released 2005 annual RCMP report finds Penticton's crime rate has dropped, it also finds that pressure on drug activity has displaced criminals south to the Osoyoos/Oliver area. "Once you start targeting bad guys, you either put them in jail or displace them. Knowing that, we're prepared to deal with additional criminal activity, and Oliver has been the first to feel that impact," Lozinski says. [continues 198 words]
