Public Safety Summer Campers wrapped up two weeks of action-packed fun and learning this past Friday. Middle school students who attended SPC’s 2015 Public Safety Summer Camp at the Allstate Center from June 8 – 19 experienced what it’s like to fight crime and protect the community. Forget watching CSI on TV!
From 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. campers got to experience the following:
- Crime scene investigation tactics including: fingerprinting, evidence collection and processing
- Field trips to the St. Petersburg Police Department, St. Petersburg Master Fire House and the Pinellas County Courthouse and Detention Center
- Spending time with SPC Law Enforcement Academy recruits
Parents noted that they appreciated being able to drop off and pick up their campers at 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., respectively, at no extra charge.
The camp was designed by SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation to provide students with a broader perspective of the public safety profession. Campers learned internet safety skills and life-saving CPR, met a K-9 dog used by a Pinellas County School law enforcement officer, how to climb a rock wall, the physical requirements of a career in public safety and how to meet challenges that may seem insurmountable but that can be overcome.
The Public Safety Summer Camp set out to do the following:
- Change young people’s perceptions of authority figures
- Educate students about career choices in the field of public safety
- Enhance campers’ self-esteem
Leo Cordero, Senior Camp Coordinator, noted that “This year’s Public Safety Summer Camp expanded on a variety of public service professions to help students in selecting a career as they continue their academic journey. We encourage youth to further their education and consider careers in public safety.”
SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation is looking forward to offering this program again next summer at the Allstate Center. For more information on this year’s camp, please visit this website: https://www.spcollege.edu/public-safety-camp/.