By Eraina Hooyer
Staff Reporter
A new logo has been chosen for the Ponoka Citizens On Patrol Society (COPS) after a contest asking for creative submissions from local youth.
COPS held a logo contest for students in Grade 4 to 6 to help create a new logo for Ponoka’s community policing program, which was initiated in 2006 and works in partnership with Ponoka RCMP.
Virginia Harvey of Mecca Glen was the lucky winner of the competition and as a prize she was rewarded with being Police Chief for a day and her classmates were treated to a subway lunch.
Const. Ferlin Desjarlais picked Harvey up from Mecca Glen school in the police cruiser and gave her a tour of the town and the detachment.
Charmaine Enns, president of Ponoka COPS, was pleased with the new logo and was happy for Harvey. The submission will be forwarded to a graphic artist and a new logo created based on Harvey’s drawing.
“She was very excited and seems like such a sweet girl,” she said. “Congratulations to her for participating.”
The submissions for the contest were short-listed to three and a committee voted on those three.
“At our last meeting 21 members were in attendance, we voted on the three and Harvey won by a majority vote,” said Enns.
The contest was held to make youth and the community more aware of what COPS is about and to increase exposure to the community.
“We are fairly new to the community and want to get our name out there and get families aware and interested,” said Enns. “We wanted to involve a broader age range and introduce COPS to youth so they know what it is about.”
Ponoka COPS is made up of volunteers that act as eyes and ears for the Ponoka RCMP detachment and the Town of Ponoka. Harvey captured this fact by including a picture of eyes and ears in her logo. They report any suspicious activity or unsafe conditions to the police who act on the information given to them.
COPS works to reduce vandalism, thefts and other illegal activity in hopes of creating a safer community.
Enns encourages anyone 18 or over that is interested to apply and help in keeping Ponoka a safe place to live.
“We are always recruiting,” she said. “Anyone who passes our security clearance can get involved as we always need volunteers for this.”
For more information contact the RCMP at (403) 783-4472.