Twelve Alberta teens will be spending the next week finding out if they have what it takes to become RCMP officers.
The students left Edmonton Sunday for the RCMP Depot in Regina, where they will join 20 other teens from across Canada in the third annual youth camp.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to showcase to today’s youth what the career is going to be like in law enforcement, especially for the kids that have an aptitude or an interest in the field,” Const. Andy Wetzstein told CTV News.
Organizers said the students were selected based on their academic record as well as their interest in policing.
“In Alberta we were allotted 12 of the 32 students going to Regina. In selecting those 12 we spoke with over 80. I think it was close to 85 students throughout the province,” Const. Wetzstein explained.
Many of the campers said they had been interested in law enforcement for a long time but also expected the camp to be a challenge.
“I am definitely expecting a lot of information – to learn a lot. So I am very excited for that. I am expecting it to be very difficult but I am prepared and I am looking forward to whatever it may be,” 18-year-old Amanda Wohlgemuth said.
“From what I’ve heard from all the Mounties that I’ve talked to Depot is hard. They work you. They train you. Break you down and build you back up to become a Mountie,” 18-year-old Spencer Moreau added.
“We’re going to have them practicing some drill and deportment skills so we’ll get them marching around the base,” Const. Wetzstein explained, adding there would be some classroom time as well as some other training.
“We’ll take them through some firearms simulators. We’ll take them through police defensive tactics so they’ll learn a little about how to defend themselves and defend others.”
The camp runs from August 12 to the 16 at the Depot in Regina.
With files from Breanna Karstens-Smith
