POLICE – RCMP to promote safe places for upcoming Pink Shirt Day

As students stand united in pink on Wednesday, the Kamloops RCMP Crime Prevention Team will launch its Safe Places program in schools across the region.

Safe Places is a pilot program that aims to engage local schools and businesses to promote and provide safety for the 2SLGBTQPIA+ community.

Displaying the Safe Places Rainbow Shield signifies that if someone is experiencing hate, they may enter the business or office and wait safely for police to arrive.

Implementing the program in schools on Feb. 22, makes it that much more significant in raising awareness about the harm of bullying and the importance in taking steps to support each other, said Cpl. Dana Napier of the Kamloops RCMP Community Police Unit.

We wanted to do something that captured the meaning of Pink Shirt Day – kindness, empathy, understanding — and link it to the symbolism of the Safe Places Rainbow Shield.

The Safe Places Rainbow Shield will be placed on school office and counsellor doors to symbolize the space as somewhere students can go when they are being bullied and feel confident that their concerns, feelings, and who they are as individuals will be accepted and acknowledged.

Partners of the Safe Places program include the Kamloops Pride Society, Kamloops Chamber of Commerce, downtown and North Shore business improvement associations, and School District 73.

For more information on Safe Places and a regularly updated list of participating businesses, visit the Kamloops Pride website at www.kamloopspride.com.