A group of wide-eyed kids were running an obstacle course in the big gym of the fieldhouse at the Langley Events Centre on Tuesday morning, as officers from the Langley RCMP detachment cheered them on.
In another gym, miniature Mounties were being drilled in marching and standing at attention, while another group were getting a course in first aid.
Outside, in a parking lot fenced off with bright orange traffic cones, Const. Glen Shippit of the Langley traffic section was explaining how a police officer will position themselves for maximum safety when they make a traffic stop, showing how they approach a car and where they stand while they talk to the driver.
Then Shippit had the children step back, started up his police-issue Harley-Davidson motorcycle and put it through its paces, demonstrating some precise riding and tricky moves to his appreciative audience.
It was the first day of the three-day RCMP Junior Cadet Camp, hosted by Langley Community Police Offices, which runs until Thursday (July 6).
The goal of the camp is to encourage what an RCMP web posting described as “a positive interaction between children and the police, to educate youth making them safety conscious individuals” as well as reaching out to children at risk.
Now, in its 12th year, the free camp is for children aged 10 to 12 who live in Langley and have not participated in an RCMP camp before (participants must pre-register and be accepted to attend).
This year, 125 cadets were learning about police helicopter Air One, Forensic Identification, Police Dog Services, the fire Department, Emergency Health Services, First Aid and more.