RCMP works with Cambridge teen to bring Cops 'N Talk program to schools

Intoxicating experience

During the session, held at St. Francis Xavier High School in Ottawa, Ontario, Power-Kiani, along with RCMP recruiter Constable Kristine Brousseau, and Tessa Duc of RCMP National Youth Services, spoke with 50, Grade 11 and 12 students in about impaired driving.

Following the info session, students donned impairment-simulation goggles and made their way through an obstacle course designed to simulate the challenges of doing normal activities while intoxicated.

"That was scary - it made me so dizzy," says Mia Mosa, 17, one of the participating students. "It would be hard to do so many things, even crossing the road. I don't think I'll ever be able to drink after that."

Playfully strategic

The interactive component of Cops 'N Talk is what makes the program unique to other RCMP recruiting activities, which can often have more of a formal feel, according to Brousseau, whom the teens had to push around in an office chair during the obstacle course.

"It's a platform we have to share the more human side of police officers," she says. "Law enforcement officers can be perceived as tough, but being able to show the fun and real side of the person allows the teens to open up more."

She notes that helping young people become more comfortable with police can go a long way in building trust and relationships, and can also help with recruitment.

Mylaine Gauvreau is the acting manager of the National Youth Services program. She says that having RCMP officers connected to the communities they serve is a way for them to do their jobs better and ultimately leads to better crime prevention.

Building blocks

Power-Kiani developed the concept for Cops 'N Talk when she participated in an RCMP-led program called the Youth Leadership Workshop, a bi-annual program held at Depot, the RCMP training academy. There, participating high-school students from across the country are paired with a police officer from their own community to work on solving a community-based issue.

After taking her idea for Cops 'N Talk to five other police agencies in Canada, Power-Kiani was met with resistance due to the required time commitment for the project. It wasn't until she joined the RCMP National Youth Advisory Committee and crossed paths with Duc that things started to turn around.

"Amia had been working tirelessly on this project plan and had been extremely passionate about it for three years," says Duc, who's worked with National Youth Services for five years. "Most people would have given up."

Not Power-Kiani.

"I know this program will make a difference. It will allow youth to be established with their local first responders," says Power-Kiani. "It will allow them to connect with each other in something positive and allow them to investigate a career in policing if they really want to."

With Duc leading the charge, the project finally found success when Brousseau agreed to help facilitate the first session. Eager to bring the Program to students, Duc secured a spot with the Ottawa Catholic School Board to host the event.

Growing up strong

Power-Kiani's mom, Crissy Power, says that her daughter's passion stems from having to deal with several serious medical conditions early in life, including multiple sclerosis.

"When she was diagnosed at nine, she changed overnight from a child to an adult. It robbed her of her childhood," says mom Power. "But I do believe this experience helped her to become a lot more mature."

In the years following her diagnoses, Power-Kiani spent a lot of time around doctors, nurses, and paramedics, with whom she developed positive relationships and developed a deep respect and admiration for first responders.

"She doesn't like to let her MS hold her back," says Power. "She doesn't want to be offered extra accommodations, and she doesn't want people to feel sorry for her. She wants to earn this responsibility, to prove to everybody that this is not who she is but just a part of who she is."

In fact, Power says it's her daughter's strong will and not her medical conditions that should be credited most, noting that her daughter was the most stubborn child she knew.

"Once when she was little, she did something and I spent an evening taking all her toys away," says Power. But after three weeks when she was still standing her ground on what she felt so passionate about, I finally had to cave in and start giving her toys."

She adds that she knew that her daughter's strong will and determination would take her to great places as she grew up.

Next-gen ready

Thanks to Power-Kiani's passion and perseverance, and the support of Brousseau and Duc, two more Ottawa schools have also shown interest in hosting Cops 'N Talk.

As for the future of the Program, Power-Kiani hopes it will eventually lead to a broader and national initiative, modelled after the Police Explorers Program in the United States, where youth can spend one-on-one time with police outside of the school system.

"Hopefully, over time, people will start seeing that these long-term youth programs really make a difference and that being proactive is the best solution," says Power-Kiani, who hopes to continue to be involved in the future.