Sustainable funding the goal of RCMP Youth Academy | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy  6.0°C

Vernon News

Sustainable funding the goal of RCMP Youth Academy

Vernon council will mull over a funding request from the Jean Minguy Memorial RCMP Academy.
Image Credit: School District 22

The people behind the Jean Minguy Memorial RCMP Youth Academy have made a pitch for funding to Vernon city council.

The Vernon Academy is looking for a renewal of the sustained funding they've been getting from the city.

"Given the proven track record that the Academy has established I am asking council for another 3 year funding agreement for $6,000 per year starting in 2014," Youth Academy chairperson Terry Packingham said.

The RCMP Youth Academy started in 1998 and it's name was changed following the death of Cst. Jean Minguy who drowned in Okanagan Lake while on duty. He was a big supporter of the Academy.

It's a one week intensive work experience program that gives cadets a taste of what a career in law enforcement would be like. Young people from across the Southern Interior are eligible to attend and five school districts provide in-kind contribution and sometime help pay for students that would otherwise not be able to afford the fees. The academy averages 45 to 55 cadets per year.

"The rewards that are realized from the support from Vernon and other communities in the Okanagan isn't just for the the cadets, it's for the communities themselves," Packingham said. "Any community that is lucky enough to have a young person return to their city or town from the academy reaps the rewards of having a citizen that holds to the RCMP's values."

Both the cities of Penticton and Vernon contribute to the academy. Penticton pays $500 per cadet from their city to a maximum of $2,500. Kelowna subsidizes the program at the same rate as Vernon.

"We have been sharpening our pencils when it comes to the budget," Packingham says. The cost to run the academy is projected to be $25,000 next year. That's down from $27,000 originally budgeted. It costs roughly $250 per cadet, which is less than the $300 in past years.

Vernon city council will vote on the funding proposal at their next council meeting.

To contact the reporter for this story call 250-309-5230, or email halexander@infotelnews.ca.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013
iNFOnews

  • Popular penticton News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile