Camp Power is a ten week summer program that originated within the DeKalb Police Department’s “Youth in Need Task Force”. The program was a collaborative inspiration between the police and variety of community stakeholders who wanted to enhance the quality of life for everyone in our community, including children who might not be as fortunate as their peers.
The program began with total grant or community based funding and served over 100 children in its’ first year – 2014. In 2015 Camp Power has increased their service by over 30% with meeting the needs of more children from the University Village neighborhood.
Camp Power consists of a morning academic component provided by Good Life Academy, it provides a free lunch and snack to every child participating, and has an afternoon filled with a variety of activities. Those activities include, recreational, athletic, educational, mentoring and leadership; the children often participate in field trips to a variety of locations within and outside our community.
Camp Power also provides an opportunity the our police officers to get to know the children and their families and for them to get to know the officers. During the first year of Camp Power crime decreased by 26% (Part 2 Crimes) and a follow-up survey indicated that over 90% of the families felt they had a more positive perception of the police.
