Laredo Police Summer Youth Academy 2009
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jul 16, 2009, 0 Comments
Today the Laredo Police Department concluded its first ever Summer Youth Academy where Laredo teens were given a special look into the training and experience of what police officers do daily. The youth camp is the brain child of Chief Carlos Maldonado and his administration with the belief that youth outreach is essential to our law enforcement mission. The city’s recreation centers were contacted for recruitment and signs ups were collected. The campers ranged from 14 to 17 years of age and were given a ceremonial certificate of accomplishment after they were involved in trainings which included; building searches, crime scene investigations, felony stops, and simulated firearms training. The campers were also given a tour of the Laredo Police Department facilities and its specialized equipment, but campers were also exposed to a variety of topics unique to their particular age groups, such as cyber-bullying and internet predators.
This Youth Academy is a pilot summer program and the feedback at the end of Academy by the teens involved in the three day camp puts the program’s success into prospective. The teens asked “can we come back tomorrow?”
