“I hope trust is what they take away from it,” Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said.
The children were also able to learn about tactics used by the regional SWAT and ask the sheriff questions like what it takes to be the next county sheriff. Streck said the first step is to make good decisions as a young person.
“The kids are very interested in what we do,” Streck said. “They have a lot of questions and it’s just nice that they are around us.”
The sheriff’s office has been participating in the camp for 11 years, Streck said, and other agencies in the county have also been involved.
Alexis Webster, the program manager, said the camp gives the children an opportunity to have a productive spring break. They get to make arts and crafts, learn about leadership, do other fun activities and meet law enforcement. She said the camp aims to teach the kids the importance of having respect for themselves and others.
She also said a goal of the program is for children to build trust with local law enforcement.
“I believe it’s so essential because it shifts the narrative and if we learn to see each other as human and people who all deserve respect and are willing to give each other respect, it builds that bridge and closes the gap,” Webster said.
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
Webster said children should not fear the police but feel safe around them.
“What better way to get them to build that relationship than to put them in a room together and let them do a lot of different cool activities?” she said.
The sheriff said that connecting with the children now can bring benefits to them as both youth and adults.
“We want people to know that if something’s going on in their life, they can call us and we will be there and do everything we can for them,” Streck said.
Dayton Unit NAACP president Derrick Foward said events like NCCJ’s can have a positive impact on the community.
“It’s important for our youth to establish their own individual relationships with the police and that is a very positive thing,” he said. “It allows them to formulate their own decisions and their own opinions about law enforcement.”
The Dayton Unit NAACP announced it will host a town hall Monday on gun violence that will be moderated by Tiwona Branham, co-advisor of the Littlejohn Junior NAACP Youth Council. Branham, an educator, said many youth she speaks with are concerned about the issue.
“They talk about how they are afraid,” Branham said. “They talk about the gun violence right in their neighborhood and how it affects their family life and they no longer feel safe walking the streets, even just going to the store.”
The town hall will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the Montgomery County Employment Opportunity Center, 4303 W. Third St. in the Westown Shopping Center.
Branham works with high school students and she said the relationship between that age group and police is strained. She said more positive programming towards that age group could improve relations.
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