After being sidelined for the past 11 months due to COVID-19, ACT Policing’s longest serving member, Constable Kenny Koala is returning to active duty.
Constable Kenny is returning to child-care centres and schools across the ACT from today, 8 February, to resume his mission of educating children on safety issues, after being sidelined from all school lessons and attendance at community events due to social distancing restrictions.
First appearing on Canberra television on 1 September 1975 as a guest in a show called Junior Police 7, Constable Kenny has delivered safety messages to more than 1,200 classrooms a year and taught more than 25,000 children. Constable Kenny has been a visible figure in the ACT for more than 40 years, building a good relationship between young people and police, helping ACT Policing achieve their mission of ‘keeping the peace and preserving public safety in the ACT’ through early childhood education.
Constable Kenny’s handler, David Packwood, says that while Kenny has not been at schools, he hasn’t been off duty.
“Our new Kindergarten to Year 2 Stay OK Online component was only delivered to a few schools last year, so it will be good to share those important messages with many more students,” he said.
Constable Kenny Koala added there’ll be a surprise for children when they see him arrive at their school this year.
“We can’t wait to get back into the classrooms, and we’re excited about getting there in our new police car, supplied by our friends at Avis,” Constable Kenny said.
ACT Policing’s Constable Kenny Koala program is designed for children aged between three and 12 years of age and teaches road safety, protective behaviours, online safety, decision making and consequences, and to encourage them to turn to police for help and advice.
For more information, or to book a visit from Constable Kenny, visit constablekenny.org.au
