If you are hanging around town this week, and you notice a group of youngsters in matching t-shirts in the company of a group of law enforcement personnel, do not fear! There has not been a mass outbreak of juvenile delinquency, and no, the Shelby Police Department (SPD) is not now recruiting extremely young new officers. Instead, you are witnessing the first installment of the year's "Cop Camp," a two-week program designed to provide positive interactions between the SPD and children in the community.
Two sessions of the camp, which is hosted by the City of Shelby through the SPD, will be held this year, the first July 10-14, 2017, and the second July 24-28, 2017.
"The camps give the children a chance to know the officers outside of the uniform," says SPD Crime Prevention Officer Matthew Melvin. "The kids have fun while learning about core values such as honesty, integrity and teamwork."
The camp is open to children from 8-13 years old on a first-come, first-served basis.
"We usually begin taking applications in March, and the camp is full by April," says Melvin, "so it pays to keep a close eye on the Shelby Police Department's Facebook page starting in March."
Highlights for the camp include activities like hiking and demonstrations at Kings Mountain Battleground and State Park; attending an Owls baseball game in Forest City; a trip to the Big E in Gaffney, SC; demonstrations by different divisions of the police department; and hands-on activities where the children respond to mock police calls and ride in police cars during a pursuit demonstration. The camps conclude with a cookout and graduation ceremony.
"We always have a diverse group of children who come from various backgrounds, and by the end of camp they have developed a positive opinion of police officers and what they do for the community," says Melvin. "We also continually meet children who have attended the camp in the past and who make a point to tell us what a great experience they had at Cop Camp."
For more information about the camp, search for "Shelby Police Department" on Facebook.

By April Hoyle Shauf

Special to Community First Media