It may be summertime, but Landon Middle School is not sitting
empty. It was the home of the Topeka Police Department Summer Camp, and about 30
students signed up to learn more about the work law enforcement officers do. TPD
officers, along with Topeka Public Schools Police officers, took time to show
the students some of the skills and equipment used to protect and serve the
public.
We recently caught up with the campers to find about the new things
they've been learning. When we arrived, officers from the motorcycle unit were
on hand to show the kids their vehicles and describe what it means to patrol the
streets of Topeka on two wheels.
After that, the students learned about DUI- or Driving Under the
Influence- charges. They had the opportunity to perform field sobriety tests,
like walking on a line and balancing on one foot, while wearing special goggles.
The goggles greatly interfered with their depth perception, affecting their
ability to balance and control their movements. 
Then the students ventured outside where they got to drive golf
carts—first without the goggles, then with the goggles. They drove the carts
through a traffic cone obstacle course, in what was both an amusing and
frightening display.
In addition to learning about police work, the campers also had the
opportunity to play games and have fun with the officers. The officers also
arranged for free lunches for the students each day of camp, including a cook
out on the last day. Time spent making connections like these enhances
relationships between local police and our young citizens.
Thank
you to the officers from the Topeka Police Department and the TPS Police
Department for providing this opportunity for our city’s
youth!
