Each summer, the Arlington Police Department hosts a series of day camps for teens who are one year or just months away from entering high school. The Police Athletic League (PAL) Camps target middle school-age students because the adolescents benefit from the interaction with officers, especially in a fun environment. The PAL Camps include entertaining activities that also teach the young teens about trust and self-confidence.
Each PAL Camp is one week-long with trips to a water park, a tour of the UT Arlington campus, skating, bowling, a police education day and a ROPES course at an outdoor camp. Today, several youth at Camp El Har (5218 Kiwanis Road in Dallas) will complete the ROPES course, which includes a zip line and other high elements as part of trust-building exercises.
This is the third PAL Camp this summer with one more scheduled later this month. The campers are managed by the School Resource Officers in the department who work in Arlington junior high and high schools during the school year. Teachers and counselors at Arlington schools, along with the School Resource Officers, encourage kids to sign up for the camps.
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