One local youth recently returned from a weeklong camp with the RCMP.
Tatyana Henderson, 17, was chosen as one of 32 high school students to take part in the third annual youth camp that ran from Aug. 12 -16 in Regina.
As part of the RCMP’s recruiting efforts, recruiters in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwest Territories have partnered with the RCMP Academy, ‘Depot’ Division for the camp.
“I was interested because my dad is a retired RCMP officer and I wanted to try it out and see what it was like,” said Henderson, who added she has hopes of joining the military in the medical capacity.
Henderson and her troop had the chance to experience a number of things including a firearms simulator. They also learned how to do takedowns, police and defensive tactics as well as how to handcuff a suspect and the basics of the Criminal Code.
They also experienced a lot of drills.
“It was basically one week of what RCMP recruits do in the six months of their training.”
Henderson said she learned a lot in the five short days she was in Regina at Depot.
“I learned a lot of teamwork. Everything was done as a troop – you didn’t leave anyone behind. I learned a lot of leadership and discipline.”
The students were selected based on academic achievement and their interest in a career in policing. They learned what it’s like to be a police officer in training through activities such as drill, driver simulation training, and tours of the RCMP Academy and the RCMP Heritage Centre.
The students selected for the RCMP Youth Camp form a co-ed group that is reflective of a typical RCMP cadet troop. By the end of the weeklong camp, the group had a good understanding of the career possibilities offered by the RCMP thanks to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Depot prior to submitting an RCMP application, officials said.
“I had a lot of fun. It was really tiring,” she said with a laugh. “You get up and go and you don’t have time to stop and think about what you are doing.”
RCMP Const. Pj Demuriak, a member of the Alberta RCMP recruiting team, and one of the recruiters who helped create and grow the Depot Youth Camp since its inception said the RCMP Youth Camp is a way for young people to learn about a career with the RCMP – and to experience some aspects of cadet training first-hand.
“The RCMP offers more than 150 different types of careers, so regardless of a person’s background, there is a career for everyone who joins our ranks.”
efawcett@reddeerexpress.com
