“It’s part of what a police officer should be doing”

“When Cst. Firth stepped out and started hauling the traffic in, and selling lemonade, that’s kind of how it happened. They were thrilled, they were so excited. I think he was there for about 30 minutes, until the kids had to go in for supper.”

Firth says he had just started his shift and was out on patrol when he heard about the stand.

“I figured I’d go out there and patrol the town. And as I came in, I saw them and they kind of waved me in, so I turned around and I ended up giving them some money. I remember when I was young, and I loved doing that kind of thing.”

Firth, who was raised in Taber and has been with Picture Butte RCMP for nearly three years, says he and the kids started talking, and more people began stopping in for something to drink.

“I just kind of picked up the lemonade stand sign, and I just started flashing it at traffic and waiving people in,” Firth recalls. “It was great, the amount of people that were starting to come in. Some people were kind of nervous. I think they were thinking I was trying to pull them over or something.

“It was only 10 cents for a full glass of lemonade, so it was time to start helping them out.”

It was a spur of the moment decision says Boon, that made the kids really happy and encouraged them to think about doing it again in the future.

“[The kids] did it once before just behind their house. But then they thought they’d venture out to the main street and see if they could get more business.”

Boon recorded a brief video and wanted to share it on social media to show that the members of the local detachment cared about their community. The video has so far been viewed more than 2,000 times.

“These guys are good guys. And as much as they get a lot of flack for a lot of stuff, they also deserve a lot of credit for taking the time out of their day to show little kids they’re out there to help them.”

A sentiment that’s also echoed by Cst. Firth, who has two children of his own, and another on the way. He understands police can be intimidating at times, but on the other hand, he also wants people to know they want to connect with their communities.

“It’s part of, in my opinion, what a police officer should be doing. It’s a community aspect and it’s important for us to be dealing with the youth. That’s our future.”

**LNN would love to hear from you! If you have any news of great work being done in your community, good deeds, or just a feel good story, email us at news@lethbridgenewsnow.com**

by Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twtitter

“It’s part of what a police officer should be doing”

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