Michael Shalapay was intently watching the peace officer patrol vehicle as it slowly came down the street — but what he wasn't watching was the large boulder at the end of his dad's driveway. The collision stopped the four-year-old's ride-on truck in its tracks. Lights flashing and a chirp of the police siren, the Lac La Biche County peace officer vehicle rolled up on the collision to make sure the youngster was OK — and to offer some good-natured community service.
"Two officers got out of the SUV and asked Michael if he had his driver's license. His reply was, 'Yup, I do," said his dad Keith, who snapped a picture of the June 25 interaction and sent it to the Lac La Biche POST.
The two municipal peace officers, Glynton Brittain and Bob Paul, were on a routine patrol that night, and were going to drive past the youngster and wave. But seeing the slow-speed bump, they shared a smile with Keith before telling the youngster that he might be getting a ticket for distracted driving. Instead, they gave him a tattoo sticker — and some driving advice.
"They told him to be more careful because hitting the rock will cause his insurance to go up, and Michael said, 'OK. Thank you'," his dad told the POST, explaining the encounter was a great way to show his young son that police are not to be feared. "In my mind — with the way things are going — this made for the first interaction a good one for Michael ... I had thanked the officers and told them that this was an awesome moment for Michael."
Lac La Biche County's Manager of Enforcement Services Chris Clark says these kinds of interactions — and the publicity from them — help to put a human face to the role of law enforcement officers.
'These type of interactions are crucial to demonstrate to the public that law enforcement officers are just like everyone else. We have a compassionate and caring side which helps get us through our day," said Clark, explaining that the nature of their jobs can stack a lot of negative responses in front of peace officers. The difficult jobs are filled with proactive patrols, complaint responses, traffic stops, education campaigns and paperwork. And while their role is to enforce the laws, Clark says the officers are more than just a badge and a vehicle. "Positive interactions show the community that we are here to support them and this is also the community that we live in and are raising our families in."
For young Micheal, he couldn't wait to tell his family about the nice local police who talked to him.
"Michael was pretty excited to show his mom his ticket that he received," said his dad.
