We’re pleased to announce that Surrey RCMP Constable Sarah Lefurgey, a dedicated member of Sophie’s Place Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, has been nominated for the 2018 Police Officer of the Year Award, presented by the Surrey Board of Trade.
Constable Lefurgey’s commitment to children extends far beyond her amazing work with child survivors of abuse while on duty. She presents to community groups about the work that is done through Sophie’s Place Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, as well as how adverse child experiences and trauma affect individuals and can lead to addiction.
She volunteers with Make a Wish as a Wish Interviewer for nominated children with critical illnesses to learn about their “Wish”. As a Wish Granter, she follows through by planning the logistics and funding to make it happen.
Constable Lefurgey also completed, on her own time, the “Child Soldiers at Risk” course developed through the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldier’s Initiative at Dalhousie University. Constable Lefurgey wanted to learn how children are used by armed groups around the world and how police and military can better protect them from the abuse and violence of contemporary armed conflict, both domestically and internationally. She took this course to better understand how children are not only used in countries around the world, but also in our own backyards. She wanted to learn about the trauma they have been exposed to, the long term effects, and how she could incorporate resiliency efforts into her work with children.
Locally, Constable Lefurgey coordinates clothing drives at a Surrey elementary school which has encouraged others to action as well. This initiative started with a child at risk that Constable Lefurgey worked with. Constable Lefurgey tirelessly supported this child through her transition out of an abusive family and also saw beyond that. This victim and other impoverished kids at her school were competing in sports with other schools wearing jeans and regular clothing because they lacked resources for gym attire. She decided to do something about this and organizes clothing donations each year. Constable Lefurgey did so anonymously to destigmatize their “need for clothes” and make it fun that “clothing just appears” in classrooms.
Through these initiatives and many, many other examples, Constable Lefurgey demonstrates leadership and integrity, and we cannot think of a better representative of the police community and Sophie’s Place!
The award ceremony takes place Thursday, October 4, 2018.