Junior Police Camp Gives Kids Chance To Learn Law Enforcement

You’ve probably never seen anyone this happy getting locked up as these group of Desert Hot Springs kids. The city’s Junior Police Camp gave over a dozen kids a chance to get a close look at what it’s like in law enforcement. it’s the second year for thethree-day program.

Kids toured the station. Seven-year-old Hailey Williams especially liked the jail tour.

“It was fun in there except when they locked us in there,” says Hailey, who is also the daughter of DHS Police Chief Patrick Williams.

But the tour didn’t stop at the holding cells. Kids got a close look at the gear officers use. Pepper spray, a baton, squad car, even a basic radio. But the most talked about item was the taser.

“it’s like really loud and it’s bright and it shocks people and it hurts,” says 10-year-old Dakota Vanzile.

Some kids wanted to try it out but not James McRoberts.

“I don’t know I think they’re crazy,” says McRoberts, 11.

The programs aimed at getting kids enthusiastic about law enforcement. So in a few years you might see these kids patrolling your neighborhood.

“Hey they could be our future police officers, paramedics, firemen, whatever,” says Desert Hot Springs Police Officer Jim Knabb. “So that’s the goal, we wanna have something for the kids to do and be a positive influence on their lives.”

And they’ve got at lease one kid interested. McRoberts hopes to make DHS a place people want to live.

“So they come here and live here without getting hurt,” says McRoberts.

And organizers hope it doesn’t take a trip to jail to convince more to follow his lead.