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NYPD officers recently took around 200 kids from New York City on a field trip to the nation’s capital in an effort to build relationships between law enforcement and the community.
Officers from the Police Commissioner’s Liaison Unit and Community Affairs Bureau accompanied 189 students from Harlem and Brooklyn to Washington, D.C., on several NYPD buses. Ranging in age from elementary to high school, the youngsters visited the National Museum of African American History “to explore their culture and heritage,” the NYPD said in a statement.
The trip took off from Harlem’s 28th Precinct station house. The precinct’s commanding officer, Captain Tarik Sheppard, hopes the kids will learn about their history and be proud of where they come from.
“We expect them to learn a lot and to come back here with a lot of pride about their history and their culture,” he said.
Youth advocacy group The Community Initiatives of NY worked with the NYPD to make the field trip happen. The New York City Police Foundation and First Responders Children’s Foundation also sponsored the event.
“I think this opportunity to show the youth that law enforcement is there with them at any given time and wants to support their efforts and just even take time to build relationships with them is fitting at this time,” The Community Initiatives’ executive director, Reverend Al Cohen, said. “This is something that’s not regular or frequent, but this opportunity has definitely been exciting for the kids, and that’s why they’re here.”
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