ISLAMABAD: Some five hundred children from Islamabad and Rawalpindi took part in the US Embassy-funded* six-week-long Summer Youth Camp held here at the Police Lines.
The Islamabad police recognizes that instilling a positive image of the police department in the minds of young Pakistani is crucial for strengthening security in the country, and through the summer camp were able to do just that.
According to details, the program brought (6 to 14-year-old) 346 boys and 147 girls together for over a month of fun and games. Watchful Islamabad Police officers taught swimming, archery, horseback riding, gymnastics, first aid, traffic safety and martial arts.
These interactions provided a positive experience for the community to come together, meet local officers and see them as neighbors and fellow members of the community with families and values matching their own.
It also facilitated an open dialog between the public and their protectors, helping to eliminate the sense of distrust that all too often exists from limited law enforcement interaction with the public.
It is pertinent to mention here that the first Summer Youth Camp was conducted in 2014 with 325 children attending. Today’s attendance record represents a 30% increase over the past four years in overall participation, demonstrating the tremendous success and popularity of this annual event with both parents and their children.
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*The camp was funded by the U.S. Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Section (INL), and facilitated by the Department of Justice/International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP).
PS: For some four decades, the United States and Pakistan have worked to improve citizen security and enhance police capacity across Pakistan. The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs works in more than 90 countries to help combat crime and corruption; counter the narcotics trade; improve police institutions, and promote court systems that are fair and accountable.
