An eight-day mini summer camp staged by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Canine Division has won high praise from its teenage participants who tired hard to have it extended.

The camp, held at Harman Barracks in Kingston, ended last Thursday with the 26 participants expressing gratitude for the knowledge and skills they gained, as well as the opportunity it gave them to make new friends and be outdoors for extended periods.

Tyler-Malone Chambers, a 13-year-old Excelsior High School student, who shared that his ambition is to become a musician and a real estate investor, was ecstatic.

“I got to meet new friends,” he said. “They introduced us to the dogs, like the German shepherds, labrador and golden retrievers. They taught us that the dogs can find narcotics, guns and bombs.”

His schoolmate, 16-year-old Garth Fisher, said it was a great feeling to socialise again as he was becoming frustrated at home. He praised the Canine Division for the camp and said that he was already looking forward to being a participant next year.

“Because of COVID, you have to hitch up inside. It’s a good feeling to be outside,” he said.

“We learned a lot of things, like CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). I learned how to do it and I can help to save a life. I learned to be a leader and that you have to show a good example. Everybody can’t be doing one thing and you a follow. You have to do something different and make them follow you. The camp is a good camp and I hope to see it next year,” Garth said.

“I learned a lot about the dogs, like the breeds, the names, and the different things they do. Some search for guns and some search for cocaine. It’s a good thing,” he added.

Wolmer’s High School for Girls student Shanna-Lowe Jones said at first she wasn’t open to the idea of the camp, but after meeting Kenya-Alaine Chambers, whom she referred to as her best friend, she doesn’t regret participating.

“They have taught us a lot. They taught us how to cope with life, sexuality, abuse and what is going on in the world, what not to do,” said Shanna-Lowe who, at the closing ceremony, was selected best all-rounder.

Deputy superintendent of police and acting head of the Canine Division, Ivel Calder, thanked the companies that sponsored the initiative.

She said the Canine Division isn’t assigned to any of the JCF’s geographical formations and therefore thought it important to participate in social projects.

“We are not sure how next year will go, because we started this programme from nothing, and we must say thanks to our sponsors like Caribbean Broilers, Fidelity Motors, City of Kingston Sodality Co-operative Credit Union, the JCF’s Border and Security branch and the Community Safety and Security branch.”

She said the camp exposed the teenagers to matters dealing with child abuse and sexual offences.

“We engaged them a bit on how to resolve disputes, with assistance from the Dispute Resolution Foundation. We got Rise Life Management and they came in and did a programme with them on self-esteem. We also engaged the Office of the Children’s Advocate, who also took them through their rights. Some of the things they didn’t even know, but I am sure they are much more educated,” Calder said.

“Parents, when you hear them come home and tell you they learned that children have rights, don’t tell them they are feisty. This is what they were taught,” Calder added.