The RCMP shared details of the Parent Awareness Night held at La Verendrye School at last night's Portage la Prairie School Board meeting.

Constables Amber Storey and Paul Bedard told the Board the program focused on students up to Grade 8, and Storey explains why they targeted the young students.

"That age group is when they're grooming them. The older siblings, the teenagers, they're already in the gang. So it's the younger sibling, their brother or sister -- who're a couple of years younger -- they're already grooming them. That's the audience we want to get to."

Storey says they've had trouble getting kids and parents out to a meeting on their own, and sending pamphlets home with kids from school was key.

"Some of them even got it twice because they're signed up for a hard copy newsletter and email. So they have that tangible item in their hand with a raffle ticket on the bottom to win a free bike. It went home with every kid, and if the kid sees they can win a bike it's mom, dad let's go to this thing I can win a bike. Hopefully, once their in the door we can engage them in some of the resources that we were presenting."

School Board Chair Murray McLenehan says the partnership between the Division and the RCMP is strong.

"If we can provide them an avenue to promote their information, that's wonderful. They do a good job, both the constables did an amazing job that night, even the 5 constables they had there that night, showed that yellow stripe is not something to be afraid of but to appreciate. That's the key to the success of the city and the school board working together."

McLenehan's is hopeful they'll have more information nights in the future.