Cedar Hill First Responders Host Summer Camp
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CEDAR HILL (CBSDFW.COM) - First responders turned camp counselors? You bet.
Police and firefighters in Cedar Hill this week are hosting a youth summit focused on opening young minds, and building bridges—before they're needed.
"If we can prevent just one kid out of the 100 that we'll see here—get to a point where they go from 'they don't' like us'… get to a point to where they really like us? That's worth it to us," says Lt. Colin Chenault, Cedar Hill Police.
The three day event dubbed Youth Summit on the Hill wrapped up Thursday afternoon with a basketball game pitting the grown-ups, against the campers. And on and off the court, 17-year-old Devin Bush is a straight shooter: just ask him what he thinks of police.
"I would just say they're out to get me," says Bush. But, that was before the Cedar Hill senior spent three days at the Youth Summit.
"What I see on the news is young black men like me every day getting shot and things like that. But, they taught me that not every police officer is the same."
"We hear stories about police officers interacting with them on a really negative basis," says Lt. Chenault, "usually it's stories that they've heard from other people. So for us to have one on one interaction with them to really change their minds: from day 1 to day 3 it's completely different."
"We don't actually see their perspective of things," admits Bush. "Like, if we're running away, they're going to think we did something bad: but, I never really thought of it in that way."
City leaders say the students walk away from the camp viewing police officers as friends. Well… maybe after the game! Until the last whistle, the on-the-court contest is an all-out battle for bragging rights.
"I thought it was going to be boring," admits 12-year-old Isaiah Johnson, "but it was actually fun." And he says he learned a lot about what many responsibilities of police and firefighters. "I think they help our city…but, I learned they do a lot more."
Campers this week learned about leadership, the consequences of distracted and impaired driving—and even operated the Jaws of Life.
"I even actually got to cut off a car door myself," recalled Bush with teenage enthusiasm. "I learned how to break out a window if I get trapped in a car, learned how to not text and drive… peer pressure. They've taught me a lot."
By the way: the grown-ups won the game. But, no one comes away a loser in this one.
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