by Sylene Argent
Constable Sarah Werstein, an OPP police officer stationed in the Municipality of Essex, has taken over the Community Policing Officer position.
In her new role, Werstein will visit Essex-area schools to teach the Values, Influences, and Peers (VIP) program, which teaches grade six students about cyberbullying, healthy relationships, bullying, internet safety, addictions, and drugs. She will also talk to the students about how the law applies to youth. She will also speak to senior groups about safety and fraud prevention.
Since her recent appointment to the new role, Werstein has been busy introducing herself to the local grade six students that she will be visiting regularly this school year to teach the VIP program components. Last Thursday, she visited the students at Essex Public School. The students listened intently as Werstein talked about her experience as an OPP officer and about what the students should expect to learn over the course of the VIP program.
“It is important to educate kids before they have to make some pretty important decisions,” Werstein said of the VIP program. In grade six, “they are at an age where peer pressure will play a role in their decision making.”
Though Werstein is new to the position, so far, she has found her role as Essex’s Community Policing Officer to be a great experience. “It has been pretty rewarding to talk to the students. A lot of the classes are pretty engaged. It is an opportunity for them to find out more about policing and what we do. It puts a friendly face to policing.”
Weinstein took over the Community Policing position from Constable Sean MacKinnon. The position-holders are rotated every four years.