Officer leads disabled parking sign campaign
PC Kern, with Lighthouse students and teachers, by one of the new disabled parking signs
(CNS Local Life): Representatives from the RCIPS, Dart Realty and the Lighthouse School met at Camana Bay Wednesday, 23 May, to unveil 10 new disabled parking signs which were designed and illustrated by students from the school as part of a joint project initiated by community officer PC Jonathan Kern.
PC Kern, whose area is Beat 9, Seven Mile Beach South, explained in an RCIPS press release that the project came about partly in response to conversations he has had with people who didn’t fully realise the impact of illegally parking in disabled parking spaces.
“People always use the excuse that they are only stopping in for a minute or that no one is using the space at that time,” PC Kern said. “What they don’t realise is that for a family who needs that space, it can take them maybe 20 minutes to load and unload their car. When the space is taken, they now have to spend even more time waiting for it to free up.”
He explained how the Lighthouse School became part of the initiative. “The idea to involve the children from the Lighthouse School came after doing a few police visits to the school,” he said. “When I saw just how creative they are and how much they want to be involved with community projects I knew this was something that would be perfect for them.”
Lighthouse student Chelsea Frederick, 15, spoke of how she came up with her design for one of the signs. “How I thought about it, was that we should all be fair,” she said. “It’s not fair to have people always parking in our spots. We need those spots for our parents to park in when they take us out, and it’s not fair that they are used by people who don’t have special needs.”
Once the designs were completed, PC Kern was able to get them printed with the support of local company D’signs. He then reached out to representatives from Camana Bay who were more than happy to display the signs, said the press release.
“We are grateful to the RCIPS for allowing us to be the first organisation to take part in this important initiative,” said Tammi Sulliman, news director for Dart Real Estate. “We hope these signs will encourage everyone who comes to Camana Bay to be mindful of disabled parking and leave those spaces for members of the community who really need them.”
The RCIPS said in the release that it hopes other businesses will get involved with the initiative, and not only display the signs the Lighthouse students have designed, but also take steps to ensure their disabled parking spaces are designated clearly, with proper measurements and space for access.
Anyone interested in learning more or taking part in this initiative, should email PC Jonathan Kern
Category: Civil Service, Community, Police
Please check regularly by Health Care Pharmacy for able bodied persons parking in disabled spots illegally. Other locales also!