Creston RCMP officers and the Lower Kootenay Band shared stories, laughs, and burgers over the Yaqan Nukiy community BBQ on April 28.
“The BBQ was a great event in our community, which includes our local RCMP officers,” said Nasukin Jason Louie in a news release.
“It was nice to have us all together to share a meal, and to continue developing meaningful relationships with the RCMP officers.”
Cst. Brett Urano says they enjoyed their time there and were able to have four officers attend, including Creston’s newest corporal, Jan Ruefli.
“I really enjoyed getting to visit with local band members,” stated Ruefli in the release.
“I am new to Creston, and this was a great way for me to get to know the community members. I was so grateful that Nasukin and council extended this invitation to our officers. We all had a great time at this amazing event.”
Urano says they had a great time building relationships and enjoying some great food.
“The community and the officers all had a lot of fun. We are very welcomed by the council and Nasukin Jason Louie. We are grateful that we were able to spend that time with the community in a social setting and be able to build those relationships with the local members of their band.”
He says meeting the community in a better setting than what police are usually called for helps build good relationships and remove whatever stigma there might be.
“Not just with the band, but with any community event, it’s important for us as police officers to have the opportunity to be seen, not just when a person is in crisis, because most of the time, people deal with the police when there’s some type of problem or crisis,” explained Urano.
“And it’s always nice to get to know the police officers when we are not in that setting; when we are there just to share a meal, talk, and have fun with you.”