Code 3: An Emergency Response to Help Our Kids

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The job of a police officer can be very challenging. Officers deal with unforgiving hours and intense criminal activity and, in some cases, there are serious and persistent divides between police and the communities they serve. But the officers who partner with Code 3 Association (Code 3) get to see another side of their community. Code 3, a Washington, DC-based non-profit, believes that communities thrive when citizens and police work together, and they focus on connecting law enforcement personnel with residents through programs that achieve this goal. 

Our partnership with Code 3 creates opportunities for DC-area police officers to engage with underserved youth–many of whom are survivors of gun violence and/or have experienced homelessness–to explore the great outdoors and experience nature’s healing qualities. Being in nature and getting kids outside can enhance social behavior, help alleviate stress, promote optimal psychological functioning, and improve recovery from physical trauma.

To help foster these connections, we plan a variety of fun and educational outdoor experiences, including tandem kayaking at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (MD), ziplining at Harpers Ferry Adventure Center (WV), and paddling down the Anacostia River in canoes (DC). These experiences break down barriers and build trust between children and police officers. With this trust, kids know that they can safely turn to police officers for support throughout their lives.

“What do the kayaking trips, ropes course, river exploration, nature hikes, bird education, and fishing trips mean to the kids in the community I swear to serve, protect, and police? These trips do not just foster positive police and community interactions. They teach me that the youth I interact with in my community are just kids — kids who have seen things beyond imagination that most adults could never appreciate.”

“Life is about facing challenges. On these trips, my kids face fears that otherwise might never have been faced or that they might never have thought themselves capable of conquering. These experiences teach my kids and my community that they matter.[These kids] learn to trust their voice, questions, thoughts, and opinions. These trips give my kids experiences they would never have otherwise, gaining an immeasurable amount of confidence and memories worth keeping or sharing.”

OFFICER PLOWS, SIXTH DISTRICT COMMUNITY OUTREACH OFFICER, METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT (DC)

Like our other youth and family programs, this partnership provides under-served students with fully immersive park experiences and removes barriers that often prevent these communities from experiencing parks, including lack of funding and access to transportation.  

“I can’t begin to tell you the impact the field trips provided by the National Park Trust have had on our Code 3 kids. The majority of the kids in our program have never been outside Washington DC city limits, and … the trips that [the Park Trust] has provided have exposed these kids to things they have never experienced.  All of them have a thirst for knowledge and these trips broaden their horizons and introduce them to potential opportunities in their future.”

Joseph Abdalla, Executive Director,  Code 3 Association

We thank the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation for funding our trips for Code 3. Are you interested in supporting one of our other Youth and Family programs? Donate or learn about how you can get involved.