Community Partner Beautifies Police Station
A community farming group teamed up again with police officers by beautifying a Midtown police station.
In 2019, 53 Division Neighbourhood Community Officers (NCOs) teamed up with Thorncliffe Park Urban Farmers (TPUF) on Project Bloom that provided youth in the area with woodworking skills and tools to build gardening infrastructure.
While walking by the Division last year, a TPUF member observed the bedraggled garden beds running along the building close to the sidewalk and vowed to do something.
The TPUF reached out to the NCOs, offering to donate plants and provide volunteers to convert the beds into a thriving and diverse pollinator garden.
September 14 was Planting Day at the Division.
“I love this initiative and it is one of my favourite Neighbourhood community officer projects,” said Inspector Heather Nichols at an appreciation ceremony. “A huge thank you to the Thorncliffe Park Urban farmers for their efforts and continued collaboration.”
Constables Viktor Sarudi and Farhan Ali coordinated Project Bloom that was funded by ProAction Cops & Kids.
“I took a little bit of my woodworking skills and brought it to the neighbourhood,” said Sarudi, who is now a Media Relations Officer. “Over the years, we have worked with hundreds of young people in Thorncliffe, building stuff and gardening. What you see today is the result of all that work we have done over the years.”
Assigned last February to the Community Partnerships & Engagement Unit, Ali said they enjoyed working in the community, engaging residents and building partnerships.
“Officers are in the fabric of the community they work in and Thorncliffe was a perfect example for both of us. What we are witnessing here is a testament to the relationships we have built.”
Michelle Delaney, a Project Lead with TPUF, thanked Sarudi and Ali for their contributions in the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood.
“Once we learned that Officer Viktor has woodworking skills, we let him know there is a lot he could to do to enhance our community,” she said. “Though we are focused on gardening, we took the opportunity with the kids to build benches. When he was not around, we did painting with Officer Farhan.”
