The Kingston Police Community-Oriented Response and Engagement unit is heading off on a three-day camping trip with local teens for the second year running.
Constable Josh Conner, Youth Programs Officer with the Kingston Police, first organized the “Camping with Cops” event last year.
The seven teenagers enrolled in the camping trip began their day with a tour of the police station.
Then it’s off to the great outdoors for fun in the sun and team-building activities.
“Swimming, lots of team games — we’re going to do some ice-breakers and ‘getting to know each other’ stuff,” Conner said.
Joining three police officers on the adventure are several members of the Youth in Policing Initiative.
Serving as de facto camp counsellors, YIPI program members like Joecelyn Miles have an interest in policing and community engagement.
The youth who attend the camping trip are often surprised how different officers are when out of uniform and in a non-policing setting.
“I’ve had not the best experiences in the past with meeting police and stuff — they haven’t always been the nicest,” said 16-year-old Meghan Downey. “But these ones are really awesome and hilarious.”
The sentiment was shared by fellow campers Gracie Bas and Angela Laprise.
“They seem very laid back when they’re not in uniform — they’re very fun to be around actually,” Bas said.
The teens note that the campout in the scenic Thousand Islands might last only three days, but they’re likely to come home with a lifetime of stories, memories and new friends — including their local police officers.
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