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West Shore
2025-06-11 08:27 PDT
West Shore RCMP recognizes that specialized services with a focus on youth is a priority. The Youth Outreach Officer’s mandate is to focus on at-risk youth via a partnership with a counsellor from Pacific Centre Family Services Association (PCFSA). The West Shore Youth Outreach Team has been working together since 2021 and seen many successes along the way.
[West Shore Youth Outreach Team]
[Video begins with text that reads: The role of the counsellor is to support and advocate for youth. West Shore Youth Outreach team understands that confidentiality between the Youth Counsellor and the Youth receiving support is of paramount importance. The team ensures that the Youth Counsellor provides support and resource for the youth while maintaining their confidentiality. The youth and family counsellors also see’s youth for a variety of other concerns.]
Cpl. Cole Brewer – Supervisor, West Shore RCMP Community and Indigenous Policing: The western communities is one of the fastest growing communities on Vancouver Island, in the province, and in the country. We have the two largest high schools on Vancouver Island right here in West Shore with Belmont and Royal Bay. So, it’s diverse, we have a lot of students. It’s only going to grow.
[Video of Belmont Secondary School exterior]
[Video of a new elementary school being built by School District 62 in the West Shore]
Supt. Todd Preston – Officer in Charge, West Shore RCMP: There is no bigger priority at this detachment then working with our youth. And especially the vulnerable youth.
What we saw was that the programing with MYST (Mobile Youth Service Team) was absolutely outstanding. It was a great program, it is a great program.
But it’s one counsellor. It’s literally one counsellor and one police officer that is servicing the CRD (Capital Regional District) which makes up 400,000 people. And all the youth that are associated with that. What we decided that we were going to emulate that.
[Aerial video of Langford from Bear Mountain area]
[Video of West Shore RCMP officer giving a child stickers at a Halloween event]
[Video of West Shore RCMP officer watching RCMP mascot ‘Safety Bear’ playing basketball with a youth]
[West Shore RCMP officer handing out stickers to elementary school students]
[West Shore RCMP officer running with elementary school students]
Cpl. Brewer: In school District 61 at West Shore. We have our School Liaison Officer in our Community and Indigenous Policing Unit and currently those police officers would work with a youth counsellor at Pacific Centre Family Services. And both those resources would be in the school connecting with the school counsellors and connecting up with those youth.
[Video of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin walking into the high school together]
Julia Leggett - Manager of Counselling Services – Pacific Centre Family Services: The number of youth requiring help in our community has grown over time and the West Shore team is able to work in partnership with the Mobile Youth Services Team. The counsellor on both teams works for pacific Centre Family Services Association. So we are able to liaise between the teams with ease and support each other, thereby support youth in our communities.
[Video of Cpl. Brewer with Youth Counsellors Julia and Caitlin standing outside West Shore RCMP talking before walking inside]
[Video of West Shore officers and youth counsellors sitting down at a table and talking with each other]
Caitlin Anderson - Youth Counsellor – Pacific Centre Family Services Association: It’s so important to have a West Shore specific team. For me it also really helps to have connections to those community service providers and to be familiar with the area to provide that extra level of care. So that it makes it easier for communication and advocacy and connecting to supports for the young people.
[Video of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin speaking to a youth at the picnic table outside at a high school.]
Paul Block - Superintendent/CEO – Sooke School District: It take a collected effort and shared dedication to nurture and raise children in safe, secure and supportive environments. This service is another example of how community partners can support children, youth and families when additional resources are needed.
[Videos of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin speaking to two youths inside the high school]
Cpl. Brewer: We are building relationships with in those schools. All the things we are engaged with, whether it be a holiday event, a sporting event, a community event in the schools. We are there so kids get comfortable so kids get used to seeing us there and, hopefully have the opportunity to interact with us in a non-crisis/intervention capacity. So that when they do need that support and intervention it’s somebody they are familiar with. They may not be fully engaged in risky behaviours but we are starting to see some warning signs. Right, and so we want to intervene before we get to an unsafe situation.
[Video of Cpl. Brewer and another officer speaking to students outside a school with the West Shore RCMP TL’Ches Spirit Canoe in the background]
[Video of Cst. Varley high fiving preschool students]
[Video of West Shore RCMP PDS members with their dogs speaking to a large group of students in a high school gym]
[Photo of Cst. Webb from the West Shore RCMP Community and Indigenous Policing unit speaking to a youth]
[Photo of West Shore RCMP members with students after a floor hockey game at a middle school]
[Photo of West Shore RCMP members with a group of youth at a high school]
[Photo of Cst. Webb helping to tie up a youths’ hockey skates]
[Video of Cst. Webb and Cpl. Brewer with a youth on Pink Shirt Day]
[Videos of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin speaking to a youth at a picnic table outside the high school]
Cst. John Varley - West Shore RCMP Community and Indigenous Policing Unit: Especially if they have no real history. It’s usually a concern for us to see if we can figure out A) no one is getting hurt but also what’s causing this? Is there any way we can help give them the chance to right the ship and offer them extra resources so that they can hopefully learn form these behaviours early on and move forward into a positive manner.
[Video of Cst. Varley playing board game with a youth at a school]
[Video of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin speaking to two youths inside the high school]
[Aerial video of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin walking together on high school campus near a school bus]
Cpl. Brewer: Youth councillors service they have a certain skill set and the police have another and I think a lot of times when we are providing service to the youth the answer is somewhere in the middle. There has to be a balance.
Caitlin Anderson: We work together, we meet frequently to discuss cases that come up and how I can be of support to the youth and the families. So we will make a plan together.
[Aerial video of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin walking together towards a police vehicle on high school campus]
Cpl. Brewer: You have two professionals who are there working together to support a youth who is in crisis is probably the best approach.
[Aerial videos of Cpl. Brewer and Youth Counsellor Caitlin speaking to a youth at a picnic table outside the high school]
Together, they work as a team addressing at-risk youth by being both proactive and referral based. They focus on mentoring and prevention strategies. This team offers more concentrated efforts on the West Shore.
West Shore Youth Outreach team understands that confidentiality between the Youth Counsellor and the Youth receiving support is of paramount importance. The team ensures that the Youth Counsellor is able to provide support and resource for the youth while maintaining their confidentiality. Meaningful engagement by a police officer with an at-risk youth has been met with positive feedback from many family’s that have received support from this team.
West Shore Youth Outreach Team remains in contact with the Mobile Youth Services Team (MYST), who provide similar support throughout the Capital Regional District to ensure that at-risk youth who may travel between jurisdictions are provided with consistent support. It is important to note, that the MYST youth counsellor is also attached to PCFSA, allowing this transition to remain seamless.
Released by:Media Relations UnitWest Shore RCMP698 Atkins Avenue, Victoria, BC V9B 3A4Office: 250-474-2264Fax: 250-474-8790Email: westshore_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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