Karen Graham
John wants to be recognized by kids in our community. He wants them to know he is there for them; that he is approachable and on their side. With five yearsè experience in a school liaison role, McLeod has learned to understand kids and how to speak to them. During the first week in the township, he has already visited both elementary schools and is well-versed in the safety programs they use to keep safe and develop good citizens.
Constable MacLeod liked the vibe on King Street as he was welcomed by residents and shopkeepers on his first visit to his new beat. Photo: Karen Graham.
He smiles when he says that the police still rely in Elmer the Elephant, who is undoubtedly older than the Constable himself, to teach young children about safety. At 50 years of age, Elmerès image has changed over the years but his character and message remain consistent: to keep kids safe! He was created in 1947 under the leadership of Toronto Mayor Robert Saunders who saw a similar program in Detroit which relied on a safety patrol boy as the mascot. Bas Mason, an Editor at the Toronto Evening Telegram, a Toronto daily newspaper, agreed to sponsor the program to assist the Toronto Police department and together they created the elephant cartoon mascot reflecting the animalsè reputation as an animal that Ènever forgetsÈ. The image of Elmer was skillfully created by a former Disney cartoonist Charles Thorson, who was happy to contribute to the safety of children. And that it did- in the year of Elmerès debut, traffic collisions amongst Toronto children dropped by 44 %, at a time when vehicle registrations were rising at a rate of 10% a year! With this kind of results, other communities clamoured to use the safety program and eventually the newspaper authorised the use of the safety program throughout Ontario and later across the country. When The Telegram ceased publication in 1971, all rights to the Elmer safety program were transferred to the Canada Safety Council where the copyright resides to this day.
Elmer’s original safety rules were based on a study of collisions involving children 5 to 9 years of age. The study showed that the vast majority of mishaps could be traced to six hazards, and that children were usually running when the incident occurred. Seven basic safety rules for young children were developed which remain a fundamental part of the safety program offered by constables like McLeod today, including: Look all ways before you cross the street; Keep away from parked cars; Obey signs and signals…If you take a moment, the remaining rules will likely come back to you.
For older students, officers focus on the Values, Influences and Peers (V.I.P.) Program aimed at grade 6 students and above that has been used in schools since in 1982. The intention of this program is to develop a partnership between the school community and the police. The police focus on issues such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, Internet safety and bullying, while teachers focus on broader social issues such as decision making, healthy friendships, citizenship and social diversity.
By building healthy relationships between law enforcement agents and youth, the idea of building safe, healthy communities becomes a joint responsibility where everyone has a positive, active role to play.
