York Regional Police is proud to announce that Grade 5 student Vanessa Giralico from Father John Kelly Catholic Elementary School in Maple, is the winner of the annual Chief-for-a-Day contest after delivering her winning essay before a panel of judges on March 10, 2009.

Vanessa won the panel’s praises as she spoke about the importance of making a difference in our community. She talked at length about personal responsibility regarding drinking and driving, using illegal drugs and the many different ways everyone can assist police officers to help keep York Region safe.

On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, Vanessa will don a specially-made uniform, give Police Chief Armand La Barge a day off and take over the helm of York Regional Police. She will be responsible for the management of 1,375 sworn officers and 480 civilians - a huge task for someone who is only 10 years old!

Members of the media are invited to Vanessa’s 9 a.m. swearing-in ceremony, which will take place at York Regional Police Headquarters, located at 17250 Yonge Street, in the Town of Newmarket.

After being sworn in, she will tour the Communications Bureau and then visit the Community Safety Village. The York Regional Police helicopter Air2, will be on the ground and the flight crew will give her a first hand look at the aircraft. She will then be off to dine with a member of the Executive Command Team at East Side Mario’s in Aurora.

After lunch, Vanessa will have a tour of the various specialized units, including Air Support, Canine Unit, Traffic and Emergency Response. She will then visit the #4 District Headquarters in the City of Vaughan and meet the Officer In Charge of the District, along with officers from the Training & Education Bureau, Defensive Tactics and Firearms sections. Vanessa’s fun-filled day will come to an end at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The Chief-for-a-Day contest is sponsored by the York Regional Police Appreciation Dinner Committee and this year 156 schools in the York Region Catholic District School Board participated. Students were asked to prepare an essay and six finalists were chosen.

“All of the participants in this year’s Chief-for-a-Day contest did an excellent job”, said Chief Armand La Barge. “Selecting this year’s winner was difficult, but Vanessa’s enthusiasm, passion and confidence won us over and will assist her in her duties as she takes on the job of leading one of Canada’s most progressive police services. It is heart-warming and inspiring to see someone as young as Vanessa recognizing the importance of taking responsibility for the safety of her community. I am confident the future of our region and our country is in good hands because it is in the hands of young people like Vanessa and the others that competed in this year's Chief-for- a-Day contest.”

Vanessa will present her speech again in front of 1,000 people in attendance at the 17th Annual Police Appreciation Dinner, which will be held on April 23, 2009. This event is a fundraising benefit for policing programs in the community. To date, over $2.5 million dollars has been raised for such worthwhile police projects such as the purchase of Police Service Dogs, the Mobile Police Station, the York Regional Police bus and Crime Stoppers programs.

For more information on the Chief-for-a-Day contest, please contact Sergeant Sarah Riddell, of the Community Services Bureau, at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 6706.