[ti:Police and Children Connect at Summer Camp] [ar:Anne Ball] [al:Education Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]For VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report. [00:04.37]Recent killings by police officers have raised tensions [00:10.60]in some American communities. [00:13.24]The Washington Post newspaper reported that police officers [00:18.49]have killed 24 unarmed black men in the past year. [00:25.05]These deaths have led to anti-police demonstrations in several U.S. cities. [00:32.83]The Maryland¨CNational Capital Park Police is reaching out to young people [00:39.27]with a program called Cops Camp for Kids. [00:43.79]The program started in 1998 as a way to bring the police [00:49.92]and the community together in a positive environment. [00:54.59]Lakeisha Robinson helps run Cops Camp for Kids. [01:00.43]She has been a police officer for nine years. [01:04.78]"A lot of children grow up in neighborhoods where they only see [the] negative... [01:08.61]I want them to see that we're not all out here to lock everyone up. [01:13.30]We're here to mentor; we're here to be a listening ear, because, [01:17.37]believe it or not, some of the kids don't have that." [01:19.64]About 40 children from nine to 12 years old joined the program this year. [01:27.16]They are learning about what it's like to be a police officer ¡ª or "cop." [01:33.29]Police officer Randy Green showed his shiny black motorcycle to the children. [01:40.26]They formed a circle around him. They asked questions about his job. [01:46.70]The children watched in amazement as the police officer [01:51.87]drove his motorcycle through an obstacle course. [01:56.34]The children also got to learn about police horses. [02:01.64]A police officer explained how to take care of the horses. [02:06.94]She showed how the police train horses to ignore noises and other distractions. [02:15.48]Afterward, the children got to ride one of the police horses. [02:20.67]The young people also went on a series of special field trips. [02:25.94]They visited a Secret Service training center. [02:29.88]The Secret Service is the agency that protects President Obama and his family. [02:36.86]The campers learned about espionage on a visit to the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. [02:45.35]The police also took the children to a courthouse to watch a real trial. [02:54.24]There was also time for more usual camp activities -- swimming, bowling, and laser tag. [03:03.17]But for many campers, it was the police activities that make them want to return. [03:10.85]Eleven-year-old Kya Ebuwei attended Cops Camp for the second year. [03:17.28]"I think it's a really good idea to have the officers connect with the kids [03:22.47]and give them the insight on their job and what they do, [03:28.90]so we know why they're protecting us and how much they love their job." [03:36.29]Officer Lakeisha Robinson says each camper shows that Cops Camp for Kids is a success. [03:45.31]"Even now, we have so many repeat campers that come back every year, and I just love it. [03:51.10]It warms my heart because it's telling me that I'm actually making a difference." [03:55.18]I'm Anne Ball. [03:58.74]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51voa.com