FARGO, N.D. – The Fargo Police Department’s Community Engagement team is taking action in order to get kids more involved in the city.
A community trust officer from the force is taking time out of his day to connect with kids in local high schools to become more trusting of police and law enforcement. Officer David Carlson said once he got established in his career he would start up a program for the youth to learn life and social skills.
“Different Types of programs to the community not a whole lot of law officers or agencies throughout the country do,” Carlson said.
The community engagement team is offering free boxing, kickboxing, and self defense classes for kids ages 10 and up who are enrolled in local high schools.
“Its a great way for us to connect in the schools, out in the community and learn how to interact and meet new people,” Carlson said.
The team is getting much recruitment from the local schools resource officers, counselors and school’s social workers.
“It gets them out of the house. Away from all the technology from being cooped up in the house because of Covid 19 it gives them a way physically and mentally to do an activity outside of the normal,” he said.
Officer Carlson mentioned that the programs does benefit the kids in the area and helps them interact with law enforcement in a positive way.
“Every time I walk into a school I get so much positive feedback from the teachers and principals. I also get tons of feedback from the parents. They thank you for offering this,” he shared.
The skills the kids learn in these classes should be used as a last resort in the setting of having to defend yourself or others.
“Purpose of it is to teach them life and social skills and get them in a real life situation so when they do encounter that situation in the real world they can react to it positively,” he added.
To learn more about this opportunity you can contact them by email or on the Fargo Public Schools’ Facebook page.
