Trips bond Prospect Heights officers, youths

The Prospect Heights Police Department's officers, city employees and volunteers accompanied 70 youths recently to Camp Duncan in Ingleside.

Programs such as these offer a great way to engage young people and to shield them from dangerous influences such as gangs, drugs and alcohol. This was the final trip for July and is part of the department's 2015 Summer Youth Outreach program. The final trip is scheduled in August and will be a day in downtown Chicago, including a trip to the Shedd Aquarium.

On the first trip - Government Awareness Day - kids took part in an organized bike ride, a tour of the police and fire centers, had lunch prepared by the Prospect Heights Fire District, enjoyed an introduction into local government at City Hall and finished the day at the Harper College Learning and Career Center in Prospect Heights.

A second trip, to Kiddie Kingdom in Niles, involved officers, employees and volunteers.

Another trip involved taking the group to Wheeling Park District Aquatics Center, where the kids took part in swimming lessons and actively engaged in relationship building with their peers and officers. Officers and volunteers swam with the kids, played volleyball and spoke about positive ways of dealing with life's stressful situations. Lunch was provided by Monica's Mexican Restaurant, a longtime supporter of youth programs.

These trips were made possible by a fund created by the Prospect Heights Police Association, Harper College Learning and Career Center, Mount Prospect/Prospect Heights Rotary Club, Prospect Heights Lions Club and Village Bank, with support from the City of Prospect Heights, Prospect Heights Fire Department, Indian Trails Public Library, Village Cycle Sport, Monica's Mexican Restaurant and Bill Stasek Chevrolet.

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