Police setting up in local mall and libraries
By Chris Simon

As part of Police Week celebrations, the South Simcoe Police Service wants to get to know its constituents a little better.

The service will set-up displays at three locations throughout its jurisdiction on Friday.

The Cookstown Manufacturers Outlet Mall and the Innisfil Public Library's Lakeshore branch will each feature a display from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Bradford Public Library, located at 100 Holland Court in Bradford West Gwillimbury, will also have a display from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Officers will also be on hand, to provide insight into the police service, and talk to local residents, said Sgt. Lisa Hunt.

"The police service will be hosting three community displays focused on crime prevention and policing," she said.

"We'll have display tables and officers. If people have questions that they want to ask a police officer, on bike helmets or whatever, then they can ask an officer."

The Cookstown display table will include crime prevention information, while the other two locations will feature drug enforcement and safety information.

Police Week was established in 1970, and aims to raise awareness of the positive impact officers have across Ontario. The province-wide initiative is meant to coincide with Peace Officers Memorial Day, which takes place Thursday.

"Police Week is an annual event that is dedicated to providing community connections, crime prevention and community awareness of policing services provided by each service," said Hunt. "All the police services, OPP and Ministry of Correctional Services (are participating)," she said.

"It's a week long celebration of policing and awareness. You get more recognition or awareness from doing it in one week."

This year's Police Week provincial theme is entitled Working with Today's Youth to Build Safer Communities, an attempt to bring awareness to the connection between officers, children and adolescents, said Hunt.