Bonnyville Staff Sergeant Sarah Parke is focused on the positive relationship between the Bonnyville RCMP and the communities they serve in the aftermath of an incident that saw five police vehicles seriously damaged with a trackhoe on May 3.
“After the story broke numerous businesses and members of the community took the time to reach out to the detachment with thank-you cards, flowers, and messages of thanks and support of the Bonnyville RCMP,” said Parke in an emailed response to questions from Lakeland This Week.
Parke was previously quoted discussing some of the negative comments made on social media “expressing disappointment that officers were not injured or killed during the incident."
“While there was some traction with negative comments on social media, most of them were just a blast of negativity with no real substance or rationale to support them. Additionally, there were also a ton of positive and supportive comments,” said Parke.
Parke has lived and worked in Bonnyville for 10 years and said it is an excellent place to raise a family and engage with the public.
“When we first moved here in 2015 it was evident Bonnyville is a very welcoming town. Our kids were quite young when we arrived and they’ve made numerous friendships and played on more sports teams than I can count,” said Parke, noting she has been able to coach some of those teams over the years and met “awesome athletes and parents along the way.”
Parke praised the strong sense of community in Bonnyville and the way “community members and businesses alike stand up for one another.”
