Calls for police help not always about a crime

OPP News Release

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Mattawa - On May 7, 2013 at 2:30 pm, a 911 call was received from a wheel chair bound woman looking for help. On this day when officers arrived – it was not a call of a criminal nature, nor was there any danger involved; it was simply a distraught woman who could not find anyone to help her.

You see her kitten had climbed a tree in her yard and was unable to get back down. She was unable to retrieve the animal herself and could not find anyone to help her. After her kitten was trapped in the tree for 3 days, she finally called police for some help. A member of the Mattawa Detachment attended her residence, secured a ladder and rescued the cat from its dubious perch. The animal was returned to her very thankful owner, as well as enjoyed some nourishment to be sure.

Community safety and responsibilities are shared by all of us, and as the police our role can be viewed as somewhat of enforcement oriented only. While enforcement is a large part of what we do, we are a part of the community fabric; a sense of helping others in need is the reason we first began to carry the badge.

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