Police, students unite in Blue Connect

NORTHERN Bay College’s unique Blue Connect program is uniting key players in the community and something everyone involved looks forward to every Friday of the school year.

Officers from Corio Police join students from years 9 to 12 for a fitness session at 7.30am before they have breakfast together.

In June, the school welcomed special guests with Western Region Assistant Commissioner Michael Grainger and the Special Operations Group coming on-site to give a demonstration of some of their equipment.

The program is about the police and students working together.

“The police have been really generous,” college principal Scott Diamond said.

“We’ve had the air wing, the dog squad and the special operations team. We’ve had some of the police who’ve been able to do a demonstration with their drones.

“So all of the really exciting parts of policing have also been on show for the kids.”

Northern Bay College’s Blue Connect program welcomed Assistant Commissioner of Police Michael Grainger and the Special Operations Group in June.

Mr Diamond said the program had been going for about five years and often involved an interview with one of the police officers.

‘”It came [together] probably from just a connection between one of our staff members and the local Corio police,” he said.

“Really with the idea that both groups wanted to highlight how positive the young people in the area were.

Northern Bay College’s Blue Connect program welcomed special guest Assistant Commissioner of Police Michael Grainger (right) in June.

“And this was a way of getting both police and teenagers working together and spending time together.

“We know that generally when you work together and spend time together with people, you develop some really positive relationships and see the best in each other.”

Mr Diamond lauded the staff who have led the fostering of the relationships as well as the staff and police who have volunteered their time for the breakfast.

Students have been able to try special equipment during the program.

He praised Corio Village Shopping Centre for donating the food, and said it provided employment for students with a strong relationship benefitting all, including customers and businesses.

“Anecdotally, we have been told that the conduct of Northern Bay students in the village is really positive and whether we can connect the two things together or not, I don’t know, but it’s nice to hear that there is that respect happening by the kids for these really crucial organisations that provide that community and village feel,” he said.