BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A group of kids at the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo got a hands-on look at the tools police officers and FBI agents use when out in the field and solving crimes, and sneak peek at what it takes to have a career in law enforcement.
For 150 members of the Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo, Thursday was the day they became FBI Junior Special Agents.
"Emergency response team, we have the bomb squad, we have the SWAT team, and law enforcement from all over Erie County and New York state,” said Robert Lowery, Boys and Girls Club of Buffalo director of program quality.
This is the second year the FBI has put on the special agent camp for the club. Public Affairs Specialist Maureen Dempsey said this year's programming includes STEM: science, technology, engineering and math.
"It's really that behind the scenes, that science you see on TV all the time, those forensics. And technology certainly has advanced to the point where it's not just 'Hey, can I climb a wall?' It's really 'Can I solve this crime using science and mathematics?' And these kids need that foundation for almost every career in life,” Dempsey said.
But it's more than just teaching kids how to bust open a door. People are also breaking down the barriers between law enforcement and community.
"You can talk to them. They protect us and keep us safe. If anything, you should talk to them,” said Boys and Girls Club Member Lukas Alvira
"Sometimes the only contact we have with children is when we're arresting people in their community,” Dempsey said. “We want to have a positive relationship with these children aside from when we're knocking on the door at 6 a.m. We want them to recognize that we're not scary people, we're good people. We want them to succeed, we want them to do well. We care about them. We truly do."
Maybe someday, these little ones will don their own helmet or badge to serve the community they live in.
"Law enforcement does this? They're kind of cool. We can talk to them. Hopefully we build that foundation," said Lowery.