NEW ORLEANS, La. — More than two dozen eastern St. Tammany Parish students got a taste of life as a police officer last week, participating in mock investigations and SWAT team drills as part of the Slidell Police Department's second Cop Camp.
The event, started last year, is designed to give the students a better understanding of law enforcement and encourage greater trust between teenagers and law enforcement, School Resource Officer David Wortmann said.
"We have to figure out a creative way to reach out to the kids," Wortmann said.
In that respect, the increasingly popular program may be a success.
This year, about 30 students signed up for the camp, including several who participated in last year's pilot program, Wortmann said. The class, which was three times as large as last year's, included students from several public and private Slidell high schools as well as other teenagers from as far away as Pearl River.
Evan Huff, who graduated from Pope John Paul II High School this year and will be working toward a degree in criminology at Southeastern Louisiana University in the fall, said the program helped cement his interest in law enforcement.
"I was trying to plan out what I'm doing," Huff said. "It was great to see what it's like."
Huff and other students said they particularly enjoyed the more active parts of the camp, which included training on a ropes course at the National Guard's Camp Villere, a two-day crime scene investigation program that had students scouring fake crime scenes for clues, and a SWAT Team drill that included the use of a live flash-bang explosive.
"That scared us really bad," Huff said.
Because of the growing interest, the Slidell Police Department is considering running a more in-depth camp next year that would last two weeks and involve information on additional portions of the criminal justice system, such as the District Attorney's office, he said.
The additional interest also has prompted officials to consider starting a "Police Explorers" program, a year-round initiative that would give students a chance to continue working with the police department, Wortmann said. Students involved in the program would participate in educational programs throughout the year and could assist police in office duties, he said.
The camp was financed by about $2,000 in donations that largely consisted of food from restaurants in the city to feed participants and officers, Wortmann said.
In addition to improving relationships with students, the program is aimed at whetting their appetite for a career in public service. At a graduation ceremony for the students Friday, Police Chief Freddy Drennan said he hoped some of those standing before him would end up joining the ranks in the future.
"Hopefully one of these days I'll see some of you guys and girls in a uniform," Drennan said.
