Youth Outreach Unit

Safety Patrol Camp is a five-day summer camp for rising Arlington County 4th or 5th grade students. Safety Patrol Camp is for those students who would like to be Safety Patrols for the upcoming school year. Children attending this camp receive instruction on their patrol responsibilities, participate in group activities, meet special guests from the police department, and complete fun crafts.

Arlington County Summer Teen Enrichment Program (AC STEP) is for high school students and provides participants with positive experiences and mentorship through a week-long program designed to develop leadership skills, provide the students with smart decision-making skills, and educative lessons. Participants also engage in discussions about the dangers of risky behaviors, gain practical knowledge, and lifestyle skills important to employment and mental health. The program promotes healthy lifestyles through team building, leadership activities and self-confidence.

Members of the Youth Outreach Unit regularly attend school lunch periods, after school programs with the Department of Parks and Recreation and non profit community members, serve as sports coaches, and participate in rock climbing events with Reaching New Heights. Through these activities, they develop meaningful and lasting relationships with Arlington youth, while also serving as role models, mentors, and trusted figures.

Through Arlington’s Public Safety Pen Pal Program elementary school students are assigned personnel who serve as a pen pal. The pen pal program is coordinated through classroom teachers and a Department liaison, who coordinate the exchange of letters.  The pen pal program runs the entire school year to build relationships, strengthen public trust, and as a positive educational activity for the students.

The Arlington County Teen Police Academy is a five-day academy for rising Arlington County 10th – 12th graders who want to explore a career in law enforcement. Through classroom presentations, hands-on learning, scenario training, and field trips, the Teen Police Academy will educate participants about a career in law enforcement, while also giving them a better understanding of how the police department operates and its role in the community. Participants can ask questions of presenters and share their insights throughout the program.