Dressed in blue uniform and naval blue caps, 100 Palestinian pupils aged 8 to 14, from different schools, joined the “Junior Cop Summer Camp” at a school in Ramallah to learn new skills on combating cybercrime and bullying.

The activity is a cooperation between the Community Policing section of the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP) and the Ministry of Education, who decided to hold a closing ceremony following two weeks of the Summer Camp on 1 August, despite the worrying developments affecting the Middle East.

During the Summer Camp activities, the PCP officers provided lectures to the pupils on how to deal with several issues such as bullying, cybercrime and traffic rules.

“We have given the pupils numerous lectures to raise their awareness in many areas, such as the safe use of mobile phones and how to cross the road,” said Colonel Raed Abu Gharbiyyeh, PCP’s Head of Public Relations and Media and director of the Junior Cop Summer Camp project, in the margins of the closing ceremony.

EUPOL COPPS has been supporting the PCP’s Community Policing efforts to reach out to the community at large.

“These activities play a crucial role in cementing bridges between this important segment of the society and the Palestinian Police,” said Simo Sakari Kauppinen, the Mission’s Senior Police Adviser, specialised in Community Policing, attending the activity.

Amidst lectures and presentations, there was room for recreation, said Ruba Laila, the School’s Principal, adding: “This summer camp has attracted many pupils. It helps them to build their personality. It also changes the perception about the police, so they could see that the police don’t only y arrest outlaws but also provide protection”.