Quatsino youth received new baseball equipment this week, thanks to a donation from the Indigenous Policing Services department of the RCMP.
They delivered four bags of new and lightly used baseball bats, balls, helmets and catcher’s gear to elected chief James Nelson.
“[Nelson] is a great partner for us, and one of his main community priorities that he continues to reiterate to us is partnership with youth. Because of that, James’s community was chosen to receive the donation,” said acting detachment commander Corporal Chris Voller.
Last year, the RCMP also donated hockey nets and pucks to Quatsino. The sports donations are part of Voller’s focus on proactive community engagement.
“There are negative aspects to our jobs, so it really is important for us to be out there in a proactive manner and have positive interactions with the youth as well,” Voller said.
He believes that long-term public safety starts with good relationships with the community, and he makes an effort to build those.
When physical distancing protocols are relaxed, the officers look forward to playing some baseball with the kids.
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