Hong Kong police training camp aims to attract youngsters with city’s longest zipline
Junior Police Call camp in Pat Heung aimed at getting youngsters to know officers, prevent them from getting involved in crime and equip them to become future leaders
Members of a police scheme set up to foster partnership with young people to fight crime will be able to take on a special challenge – trying out the city’s longest zipline at a new training camp, which officially opened on Thursday.
It is located at the former fire school in Pat Heung in the New Territories, which has been renovated to become a Junior Police Call training camp featuring facilities like the 100-metre-long zipline.
Police Superintendent Yau Kwok-keung said Hong Kong residents, especially youngsters, had little chance to reach out to police.
“The training camp provides a platform for youth to communicate with police, thus promoting their sense of responsibility to society,” Yau said.
Established in 1974, the Junior Police Call has had 1 million youngsters going through its ranks. There are currently more than 180,000 members, including over 4,000 from ethnic minorities.
In the government’s 2016 policy address, the force was asked to adopt measures to enhance Junior Police Call and youth work, including setting up the Junior Police Call Permanent Activity Centre and Integrated Youth Training Camp in Pat Heung.
The centre aims to instil discipline, physical strength and teamwork in members. Organisers also seek to raise awareness of various laws, prevent youngsters from getting involved in crime and equip them to become future leaders.
Youngsters aged between nine and 25 can become Junior Police Call members. Camp organisers expect to train 20,000 young people every year.
To make the camp attractive, organisers developed a programme based on three elements – physical training, learning about police work and technology. Among attractions are the zipline, a simulated laser range, a 3D print studio and a simulated crime scene.
Lam Ho-fung, 17, who joined the Junior Police Call three years ago, tried out the camp during a testing period. He said the experience made him aware of the seriousness of crime and ways to prevent it.
“We play different roles at the simulated crime scene and get to know what we should do as a victim or a police officer,” Lam said.
Li Kwan-an, 16, and Leung Ching-kwan, 17, said the zipline and other facilities made the camp better than others in the city.
Lam said he was impressed with the seminars about drugs, internet security and copyright.
“After learning about copyright laws, I asked my friends not to repost photos without mentioning the owner’s name and download videos only from official sites,” Lam said.
