DRPS, fire departments collaborate on annual North Durham Community Day event

DAN CEARNS The Standard

SCUGOG: People are invited to visit the Port Perry Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 16th, for a community event put on by the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS), Scugog Fire Department and Brock Township Fire Department.

The annual North Durham Community Day event will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event is expected to feature police displays from various units as well as displays from DRPS’ community partners. There will also be a barbecue, events for kids and an on-site shredding truck for anyone who needs personal documents shredded.

“We have specialty units, we have our [tactical] unit, our canine unit and our forensics unit, traffic unit that comes out,” Constable Jim Aquin told The Standard. “We do it in conjunction with the fire departments, so they’ll have the safety trailers and fire trucks there. There’ll be a bouncy castle for kids, and a couple of inflatable games for kids to play.”

Constable Aquin also explained this event allows residents to see police officers in a different capacity. “Instead of police showing up to whatever call when somebody needs [them], they can just come up and chat, on a personal level, with officers. Kids [can] try helmets on, the canine officer will have their dog with them, and they can learn about training a dog and what it takes to be an officer. It’s just bringing emergency services and the public together.”

The event is free to attend, but the police will be accepting donations from local food banks through their on-site Cram-a-Cruiser.

“Summertime is one time when the food banks are always low. [During] Christmas time and the holiday season, people give a lot. In the summer, people are on holiday and sometimes forget the foodbank is still needed. So, at any event we have, it is really important that people in need somehow benefit from it,” Constable Aquin said.

Anyone who wants further information on this event is asked to email North Division at northdivision@drps.ca.

The Port Perry Fairgrounds are located at 15835 Old Simcoe Road.