Constable Kenny Koala has been a visible figure in the ACT for more than 40 years.
Constable Kenny first appeared on Canberra television on 1 September 1975 as a guest in a show called Junior Police 7, which aired on Capital television. 'Senior' Police 7 was a community service program of police news that was shown once a week. Junior Police 7 was the version for kids.
Since then, Constable Kenny has become a popular character in Canberra, delivering safety messages to more than 20 000 children each year through school visits.
His character is influenced by his 'frantic' nature. There's never enough time to do things, and he's always just remembering something he was meant to do! His character evolved this way because originally, when he was a guest on Junior Police 7, he'd always get things wrong, and the host, a police woman, would have to correct him. In this way, kids were able to identify with Constable Kenny and his faults.
Constable Kenny is not an authoritarian figure; he's a friend, he is reassuring and engaging.