Manassas Youth Police Camp exposes city teens to law enforcement

MANASSAS — Some of them like working with the K9 dogs. Others like riding in the cruiser in a simulated police pursuit.

All of them are rising 9th-grade students headed to Osbourn High School in Manassas this fall. But they’re spending part of their summer with the city’s finest at the annual Youth Police Camp.

A total of 17 students are in the camp this year, which takes place from June 25 to 29. They’re spending their days emerged in the workings of local law enforcement.

On Tuesday, students were at Baldwin Elementary School using riot shields and trying on helmets and protective padding. It’s the same gear used by the department’s civil disturbance unit.

“That gear is heavy,” said Manassas Police officer Charles Sharp, who organizes the annual camp. And in the summer months, wearing it while working an event, it’s downright hot.

“Sometimes you don’t realize how hot it is until you get out there,” added Sharp. “Sometimes they see this stuff on TV, and its funny to see their reactions when they try it on.”

The students here are not only getting a taste of how police officers work, they also get a sense that police officers are also human.

Micheal Craig, 14, says he is considering a career in law enforcement, and that camp has been an eye-opening experience.

“It’s a lot different than the media portrays them,” said Craig. “Police are people too, they just do what other people do. And sometimes they get called up for something that might happen.”

Showing these teenagers that they could have a future in law enforcement is a goal of the camp, too.

“On day one we ask them ‘is anyone interested in a career in law enforcement?’ And we get about half of the group who say they’re interested, said Sharp. “By the end of camp, you might get even more.”

Next month, the teens will graduate police camp at a ceremony in front of the Manassas City Council, where they’ll receive a certificate of completion.