“Cooper” and “Roary” hit the road

Crimestoppers rolls out Trauma Bear support to frontline policing operations in the North Okanagan and Shuswap.

The North Okanagan Shuswap Crimestoppers Society purchased 200 of the bears that have been distributed to RCMP Detachments in Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby, Lumby, Falkland, Salmon Arm, Sicamous, and Revelstoke. The plush bears, Roary and Cooper, will be put in police vehicles and are available to frontline officers to hand out to children who impacted by a trauma or other significant event.

As first responders, whether it’s at a collision, fire, or other emergency, we often interact with kids who have been exposed to some form of trauma, states Constable Chris Terleski, Media Relations Officer for the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. To give a child a plush bear might seem like a small thing, but in that moment, it’s a small thing that can have a big impact. We’re really thankful to our local Crimestoppers Society for their support.

We really felt this would be an excellent way for us to make a tangible difference, states Julie Pilon, President of the North Okanagan Shuswap Crimestoppers Society. It’s part of Crimestoppers’ commitment to giving back and supporting youth in our community. We hope these bears can ease the difficulty of what’s happening for these children at least a little bit and provide some comfort for them.

The North Okanagan Shuswap Crimestoppers services the following areas: Armstrong, Enderby, Falkland, Vernon, Coldstream, Lumby, Sicamous, Salmon Arm, Blind Bay, Sorrento, and Revelstoke. To submit a tip to Crime Stoppers call 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online to https://nokscrimestoppers.com.