A possible impaired driver who passes a roadside breathalyzer; another heading home for a party with an open beer can on the dashboard of his car; two drivers in a dispute after a minor collision and a suspected gang member who cut off another vehicle.
Those are the scenarios played out for young officers Wednesday at Coquitlam RCMP’s annual Junior Mountie Academy at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex.
The five-day camp gives cadets aged 9- to 12-years old an opportunity to learn about police work and get hands-on experience with policing skills like processing crime scenes, conducting vehicle stops and pedestrian safety. They also learned about using social media safely.
The camp wraps up with an emergency vehicle show ’n’ shine on Friday featuring demonstrations, interactive displays, information booths from the RCMP’s various specialty divisions, as well as vehicles like the RCMP’s patrol boat and mobile command vehicle. That will be followed by a graduation ceremony for the cadets on Friday evening.
