Appointee brings youth perspective to committee

BY KIRK STARRATT

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com

Kings County’s police services advisory committee now has a member able to bring a youth perspective to the table.

Emma Johnson, a Grade 10 student at Western Kings District High School who recently turned 16 years old, had a rather lofty position entrusted to her this past fall when she was appointed the citizen representative for the western portion of the county on the police advisory committee.

Johnson said she applied for the appointment after being told she could by her county councillor, Wayne Atwater. Johnson knows Atwater from working in the past as a volunteer on municipal election campaigns.

Although there was one vote against her when her appointment was ratified, Johnson said she was pleasantly surprised, even shocked, to learn she had been accepted. This is the first time she has served on any sort of municipal advisory committee.

“I was kind of excited,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity.”

Learning curve involved

Johnson said she has attended one meeting of the advisory committee so far and found it wasn’t that bad. She recognizes there’s a learning curve involved, but she’s eager to get her feet wet and learn the ropes.

She said she had a great introduction to how the committee works when she attended the first session. She likes to be able to offer her opinions and feels she can make a contribution through volunteering some of her free time.

“I’m hoping it’ll help me decide what I’ll want to do for a job,” Johnson said. “It will give me a good start in deciding if I want to join the police force in the future.”

Also, she hopes to get some insight into how the administrative side of policing works. Johnson said she thinks she can offer a somewhat unique perspective on policing issues because she’s younger than the other committee members. She recognizes also that issues facing youths in terms of policing can be somewhat different than those of adults or seniors.

She has been involved in Girl Guides in the past and serves on her school’s yearbook committee. A member of her school’s rugby team, Johnson plans to get her lifeguard certification this coming spring and hopes to get a job as a lifeguard in the local area this summer.