Trenton Police Department's Youth Academy participants gain a working understanding of how an inner-city police force functions, learn some of the skills the officers use every day, and become de facto members of the police family.
In this hot and unsettled summer, police departments around the country are turning to innovative programs to cultivate healthy relations with the communities they serve.
In North Carolina, the Charlotte-Mecklenberg police force reached out to the North Carolina Local Barbershop Association to coordinate monthly town hall meetings with the black community, with the goal of promoting dialogue.
In Philadelphia, a 24-member Police Oversight Board created by former mayor Michael Nutter is charged with helping to create a more responsive, ethical and service-oriented force in the City of Brotherly Love.
And in Boston, police encourage interaction with youth groups through such user-friendly programs as "Coffee with a Cop" and "Shop with a Cop," as well as through flashlight walks with city residents.
Closer to home, participants in the Trenton Police Department's Youth Academy summer camp come away with more than a T-shirt emblazoned with a city police crest - although that's pretty cool in and of itself.
Participants also gain a working understanding of how an inner-city police force functions, learn some of the skills the officers use every day, and become, as Police Director Ernest Parrey Jr. has said, de facto members of the Trenton police family.
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The academy is not new to New Jersey's capital city; last year 60 of its "graduates" were honored at a ceremony in Trenton City Hall. But the lessons it teaches have never been more needed.
The free camp, for youngsters ages 10 to 15, is geared to residents recommended by their school teachers. Through a combination of fun activities -- bowling, horseback riding -- and police-related materials, it plays an important role in breaking down the barriers that too often can lead to lethal confrontations.
A vital component of the youth academy camp is the mentoring the boys and girls get from the officers they meet and learn from -- a relationship with the potential to exist long after the last session.
It takes more than luck to avoid the kind of violence that has roiled our cities these last few years. Trenton officials have also emphasized recruiting local talent for the force, holding a series of group meetings and one-on-one sessions to attract potential members from within city limits.
Parrey's philosophy is that law enforcement agencies benefit greatly from enlisting individuals who know the streets and dynamics of the neighborhoods they are patrolling.
We couldn't agree more with the department's multifaceted approach. Strengthening bonds with the community not only builds trust among residents, but also gives the cops a fuller sense of the people they're committed to protecting.