The Union-Recorder
MILLEDGEVILLE —
For the past several years, summer in Baldwin County has brought about opportunities for area youth to get to know local law enforcement agencies and form what is hoped to be a lasting relationship with officials through two local programs.
The annual Junior Police Academy and the Junior Deputy Camp, put forth by the Milledgeville Police Department and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office respectively, aim to show their young participants that forging a relationship with law enforcement officials doesn’t have to be established on the negative end of the spectrum.
Earlier this month more than 100 campers ages 5 to 12 took part in a week-long Junior Deputy Camp put forth by the sheriff’s office.
Camp coordinators noted that not every family can afford to place their children in summer programs and activities, let alone send them out of town for camp experiences. Through the Junior Police Academy and Junior Deputy Camp, local youth are exposed to the camp experience. In addition to the outdoors and exercise components, the camps also provide participants with valuable life skills such as CPR basics, instructions on how and when to use the 9-1-1 emergency system and fire safety training.
Neither of these camps would be possible without the generous support and contributions made through fundraisers and private donations.
While more than $4,000 has been raised for the upcoming Junior Police Academy, this year’s funding goal is $15,000. The present economic climate makes the significance of this year’s camps even more vitally important as a number of other programs and summer youth activities have been scaled back or cut altogether. Thus far, 125 local youth are signed up to take part in the Junior Police Academy, which is slated to run July 1 through July 28.
These camps give some of their participants their only access to understanding and respecting local law enforcement and emergency personnel, and developing that level of respect and insight into the importance of what these leaders do for the community is imperative to establish at a young age so that it is more likely to carry over into adulthood.
Donations are still being accepted for the Junior Police Academy. This camp, along with the Junior Deputy program expose local youth to the resources Baldwin County has to offer and teaches them that law enforcement officials are here to help. Community support is imperative to the success of these summer endeavors. We may never know at when or where the life skills participants may be exposed to at either of these camps may help save a life.
