Photo courtesy of the Town of Ponoka.
The Town of Ponoka’s Community Peace Officer (CPO) is distributing positive tickets to youth doing good in the community.
“We’re rolling out a Positive Ticketing Program that focuses on the youth in our community over the summer months and rewards them for demonstrating safe behaviour for doing things like wearing a helmet or using proper hand signals and riding on the correct side of the road when riding their bike,” said Stuart Larson, Protective Services Manager for the Town of Ponoka.
The town's CPO has already been rewarding youth displaying safe behaviour he sees on a daily basis.
“He’s having a lot of fun with it. His role is usually focused on trying to help citizens correct behaviours that violate provincial traffic laws or town bylaws – either by educating them about the requirements of legislation and bylaws or through enforcement when needed,” said Larson. “It’s a lot more fun to hand out tickets that reward people for doing the right thing.”
The Positive Ticketing Program not only rewards safe behaviour but helps to build a positive relationship between youth and law enforcement.
“Our goal is to encourage positive interactions and continue to develop positive relationships between our citizens, our Community Peace Officer, and our community as a whole,” said Ponoka Mayor Kevin Ferguson.
Adding that the Positive Ticketing Program helps demonstrate that Ponoka’s Community Peace Officer Program helps create a safer community.
“We’d much rather use education and positive programs like this to achieve that whenever possible,” Ferguson said.
The program has been in place for about two years.
**With information provided by the Town of Ponoka.