Spring Break Police Camp fostering positive relationships with local youth

West Shore

2024-04-03 12:10 PDT

Youth from the Greater Victoria Area got a chance to expand their leadership skills via Police Camp which was organized by the Greater Victoria Police Foundation (GVPF).

Police Camp is an annual leadership course for youth in Grades 10 - 12. Police Camp is a heavily sought-after experience, and this year was no exception with over 100 applicants competing for 60 spots. One of the main objectives of Police Camp is to build bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve and to help youth better understand the role of policing.

Police Camp was held at the Albert Head Cadet Base in Metchosin which graciously hosted the students and Team Leaders for the week. The youth were exposed to various classroom lectures and outdoor activities centred around policing. They engaged in daily Drill (marching) and physical fitness, followed by scenarios which often ran into the late hours focusing on developing teamwork and leadership skills. Each police service showcased their specialty units, including the Police Dog Unit, Emergency Response Team (ERT), Underwater Recovery (Dive Team), Major Crimes, Shiprider and Air Support were all there to provide incredible hands-on learning experiences for the students.

Team Leaders volunteered from a number of law enforcement and military agencies in the CRD, including West Shore and Sidney RCMP, Saanich, Central Saanich, Oak Bay and Victoria Police as well as the Military Police. West Shore RCMP was represented by Community Policing Constables John Varley and Justina Webb. The youth were split into five teams and stayed on site with their respective Team Leaders for the full week. The Team Leaders provided the youth with an understanding of police work and the many responsibilities associated with it. By the end of the week, Police Camp participants had not only developed a deeper understanding of the role of police officers within community, but also had forged strong bonds and new friendships with each other and the police officers they learned from.

We at the GVPF believe that police are essential partners in our community. We also believe that youth, as the future leaders of our community, need to be supported to realize their full potential and that building bridges between police, youth and other members of the communities where police serve is not just a nice thing to do, but a necessary thing to do. Robert Jawl, Chair, GVPF Board of Directors

A highlight from the week involved nighttime scenarios where the youth worked in groups of two and attended calls for service. This was aimed at simulating real-life scenarios a police officer would encounter while working a night shift. The youth were challenged to work as a team, put their investigator caps on to solve the crime and find appropriate resolutions.

A graduation ceremony was held at the end of the week recognizing and celebrating the students’ hard work. Students marched into the graduation as a unified group, displaying a strong sense of pride and accomplishment.

There were tears at the end; we (Team Leaders), all agreed that we felt proud of the growth each student exhibited in just one week and were inspired by the dedication they showed working together, said Cst. Varley, reflecting on his experience as a Team Leader from West Shore RCMP.

This was my first year participating in Police Camp as a Team Leader and I cannot wait for next year, added Cst. Webb, Team Leader from West Shore RCMP. Seeing the youth work together as a team and build each other up while supporting each other through difficult challenges was a very rewarding experience.

Released by:

Email: westshore_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: westshore.rcmp-grc.gc.ca (English only)

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