MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee police officers and about 150 young boys from Camp Rise came together at Pulaski Park for a day focused on building relationships and trust through play and conversation.
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The event, part of the Earn & Learn Camp Rise program, brought together officers and boys ages 10 to 13 for activities including basketball, hiking and playground time.
"It's a way to give back for one. It's worthwhile for our young people to do activities like this so they understand civic engagement and how to give back," said Marcey Patterson, MPD community engagement manager.
While the original plan included a park cleanup, Milwaukee County Parks had already maintained the grounds, allowing more time for meaningful interaction between officers and campers.
"It's very, very important to build relations with young people. This is one of the ways we build trust and police legitimacy amongst our youth," Patterson said.
For the officers, these connections come at a crucial time following recent challenges, including the death of a fellow officer.
"When we talk about wellness, I think officers being in community helps with their mental health, especially the challenges we had the last couple weeks," Patterson said.
Watch: Milwaukee police officers connect with Camp Rise youth at Pulaski Park
The young participants also valued the opportunity to engage with officers in a positive setting.
"It's like very fun. We get to go on lots of field trips and stuff. We learn lots of things like what we wanna be when we grow up," said Jayden Smith, a 5th grade camper.
Jayden appreciated the outdoor experience and chance to learn about law enforcement firsthand.
"Out here is very fun. You get to feel the breeze instead of just staying in the house. I talked to them about how police duty is and how they stop crime," he said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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