Cops Camp: Police Mentoring Kids in Minority Communities
RIVERDALE, MD – His day was probably just off to a bad start.
That’s what Corporal Lakeisha Robinson told herself when a camper started acting up on the first day of Cops Camp last summer.
The camper was hesitant to follow instructions and even got physical with another camper. At any other camp, the child might have been sent home for the day – or even the remainder of the camp session – but Robinson didn’t take that route. Instead, she decided the child would spend the rest of the day at her side.
“I said to myself, ‘He’s probably just having a bad day,’” said Robinson, an energetic nine-year veteran of Prince George’s County’s branch of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police. “But I’m a lot of fun to be with, so I thought he’d cheer up.”
Near the end of the day, Robinson called the camper’s mother with a good report: his attitude improved and he was an exemplary camper, going on to enjoy the entire week of camp.
Robinson felt she made a difference with that camper, and that’s her goal with every single person that signs up for Cops Camp, which the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting for two sessions this summer.
Prince George’s County, the second-most populous county in Maryland with just more than 900,000 residents, is a melting pot in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. The majority of its population is made up by minorities, more than 65 percent of whom are African American. Entering its 17th summer, Cops Camp, which is run by counselors who are all Park Police officers, is a popular camp for Prince George’s County youth.
It mixes what you might expect from a cops camp, intertwined with typical camp activities – interaction with various parts of the police department followed by fun, like bowling or a trip to the pool.
They take a few field trips during the week, including trips to the Secret Service training facility in Beltsville; to the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.; to the Park Police mounted unit station in Mitchellville, where campers get to ride the horses; and to the Prince George’s County Circuit Court in Upper Marlboro, where they meet the state’s attorney.
Mixed in with the field trips are team-building activities with the Park Rangers, CPR instruction, a mock police academy, meeting bomb dogs, learning about crime scene investigations and talking about gang awareness.
Thomas Reed, 11, attended the camp the last three summers and enjoyed every minute of it. He liked learning about fingerprinting, visiting the Spy Museum and hearing why his camp counselors became police officers. He said that the atmosphere was a little different than other camps.
“It was a strict attitude with them,” Reed said, referring to the officers. “It wasn’t, ‘Okay children, go do your work, please.’ It was ‘Down, set, hut! Here we go!’ They were really nice.”
Parents see it as a way for children to have positive interactions with police officers at an early age.
“I want them to see the importance of following the rules and how that benefits you, and for them to see that police officers are not our enemies. They are here to help and assist,” said Edwinna Albergottie-Reed, Thomas’s mother, of Bowie. “They are valuable assets to society, especially in the black community. They’re not someone to be feared.”
Nathaniel Smith, of Bowie, whose son Micah also attended the camp the last three summers, said it exposed his son to a possible future career. Smith said Micah is already thinking about law school or possibly joining the United States Air Force, and this type of early exposure is hard to find.
“I’m glad that Prince George’s County has a program that allows kids to get to experience that,” Smith said. “They get to see law enforcement from a different take, and see that they serve the community and the people in it.”
Corporal Robinson says she learns as much from the kids during the week as they do from her.
A parent herself, Robinson enjoys forming bonds with the campers throughout the week, helping them with any problems they might be having at home or in school. She gets excited when she’s out shopping and a former camper recognizes her and strikes up a conversation.
She believes the relationships she forms during Cops Camp will have a lasting effect, and that they help create a positive impression for police officers in the community.
“The most important thing I’ve learned is that you never know what a youth or child could be going through,” Robinson said. “I want them to know that not just me, any police officer out there, you can stop us and you can talk to us. If you have any questions about anything, is anything happening – I just want them to know that we’re an open book. And with how things are going these days, I just want to be there for the youth because, believe it or not, a lot of them don’t have that.”
FIRST SESSION: July 13 to July 17 at Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex
SECOND SESSION: August 10 to August 14 at Glenarden Community Center
The Department of Parks and Recreation provides comprehensive park and recreation programs, facilities, and services which respond to changing needs within our communities. The Department strives to preserve, enhance and protect our open spaces to enrich the quality of life for present and future generations in a safe and secure environment.
For more on the Department of Parks and Recreation, visit www.pgparks.com and stay connected onFacebook and Twitter. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities in all programs and services.
