Hamilton police welcomes 10 students to Youth in Policing Initiative summer program

Ten high school students from across Hamilton will be working alongside the city’s police force as part of a youth policing summer program.

Over the next eight weeks, they will be out and about attending community events, and getting a paid, behind-the-scenes look at what could be their future career.

The provincially funded program, the Youth in Policing Initiative, gives youth an opportunity to explore a potential career in policing, while providing them with valuable work experience, and a chance to give back to the community.

They will be learning some of the ins and outs of what it means to wear the badge.

“It’s not always catching bad guys, and going to different calls,” said Emmanuel Okoli, one of the youths in the program. “Policing too is also for the community, and we’re always nice to everyone.”

The youth were able to take a trip onto a rope course, as part of a team building afternoon.

“We’ve been to many cultural events, seeing different age groups and different ethnic backgrounds,” said Liliia Stetsyk, a 17-year-old from Ukraine, “so it’s been very rewarding to get new experiences.”

Students get to see policing from the ground level, and officers get a fresh perspective too.

“We’re learning from them, just as much as they’re learning from us,” said Indy Bharaj with the Hamilton Police Service. “So it’s a great learning experience for the officers that get to work with these students, and them as well.”

For some people, this is a dream job in the making.

“I came in 2016 – I moved to Canada, I came to Caledonia, a little town, and in 2017 I moved to Hamilton,: said Mahde Al Hamad, a 15-year-old youth in the program. “Ever since I remember, I wanted to be a police officer.”

It also wouldn’t be a proper shift without a bit of grub.

“Our first thing we wanna do is go to Lulu’s [Shwarma] for lunch, so here they are,” said Bharaj. “They got their paycheques, and they’re here at Lulu’s.”

Some of the youth even got some real world experience, as a driver went the wrong way down Catharine Street.

“Youth in Policing Initiative is a very good program, and if you’re considering a career in policing it’s definitely a program for you,” said Grace Mwalyo, another youth in the program.

For the rest of the summer, the students can be seen at community events across the city, carrying out public safety education, crime prevention tips, and helping build safer, more connected neighbours.

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