Albany police, Dougherty County sheriff's officers gearing up for youth summer camp

May 1—ALBANY — A summer camp hosted by area law enforcement officers has been a hit in recent years, giving young people a place to go for the day and taking the kids on an out-of-town trip.

In addition to the fun and games, the mentors share life lessons and skills, and this year a big focus will be on mental health over the course of two months of the free program.

The reason for that emphasis is that children are continuing to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and over the past year two young people in the community took their own lives, Dougherty County Sheriff's Office. Capt. Ted Thomas said during a Dougherty County Commission meeting Monday. One of those victims had been bullied, and the other had mental health issues.

"This year, it's going to be focused around mental health," Thomas said of the camp. "This is one of the most comprehensive youth programs in southwest Georgia."

Registration for the Albany Dougherty Youth Unit's summer program opened on Monday, and last year the Monday-Friday program averaged 114 children ages 8 through 14 each day. This year the program will be open May 30 through June 30, with a trip planned during that period for Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta.

"Every Friday we want to take them on a field trip," Thomas said. "Over (the) years, I realized some of these kids have never been out of Albany. Last year we went to Six Flags. They had a great time."

Camp activities include games, but there are also sessions to give advice on issues like gangs, drugs, choices and consequences, personal hygiene, financial literacy and nutrition. But much of the program is just having fun and something to do during the summertime.

"We want to make sure we can give our kids a space to just be kids and get over some of this stuff from the past couple of years," Thomas said. "With the help of different partnerships we are forming, it's going to really help us put on a great program."

The captain also made a pitch for funding — $10,000 for the trip to Wild Adventures. Commissioners Clinton Johnson suggested bumping up that amount to $15,000 due to inflation and to ensure the program is on sound financial footing.

During the discussion, Thomas said that the program, staffed mostly by officers with the sheriff's office and Albany Police Department, could expand to include more children with more staffing. A previous effort to enlist help from the Dougherty County Police Department and Dougherty County School System Police Department went mostly unanswered.

The funding will not come out of the county's budget but from funds collected for the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Education program, sheriff's Col. Jon Ostrander said during an interview following Thomas' presentation.

"They're allocating money from bonds and fines that can be expended for efforts like this," he said. "This way, they're not dipping into the general fund or any tax dollars."

Parents can register their children for the program at the sheriff's office. Individuals or businesses interested in donating can send an email to dcjf@dougherty.ga.us.