Photo: Peabody Police Department
PEABODY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A group of around two dozen kids are getting a hands-on look at public safety in Peabody this week.
The four-day Public Safety Academy for Teens is an annual summer camp collaboration between the Peabody Police Department and the Peabody Recreation Department. For the first time since its inception in 2006, the camp has expanded to include the Peabody Fire Department.
According to Peabody Police Chief Thomas Griffin, the experience is a way for the kids to "see the police department and see the fire department in a nice, relaxed setting versus an emergency setting where everybody is upset about what’s going on."
The kids, all students in grades five through eight, get to tour the police department, interact with the bomb squad, and process mock crime scenes. For the fire department portion of the camp, the students participate in drills and mock fire rescue operations. They also get CPR certification.
"It's really fun to do and I'm glad I came back," said 11-year-old Ryan. "Learning how to do the obstacle courses and what they do when, like, the roof collapses and, like, how to fit through small holes and stuff."
"Me and Ryan over here actually had to pull one of the captains out of the room with fake smoke and everything," said fellow student Kayden.
"They see it from a different view than us just enforcing and arresting," said Griffin. "It’s more behind the scenes and it humanizes police and fire."
WBZ's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.
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