ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police have kicked off the fifth year of its Dueling Dragons boat racing program for at-risk youths.
The teenagers practiced on Lake Fairfield in Orlando with Chief John Mina on Wednesday.
The event is part of the department’s effort to build a better relationship between officers and the community.
Officers volunteer their time and serve as coaches and mentors for the children involved.
Mina said the program is especially important given the current climate of police brutality cases across the nation.
The teens participating are from the city’s Operation Positive Direction, Parramore Kidz Zone and the city’s Families, Parks and Recreation Department.
“It (has) allowed me to be able to get close to people that I never thought I would be able to get close to,” said Dueling Dragons team member Brandon Cunningham.
The program allows mixed rowing teams of police officers and teenagers to work together to win races.
“Most people, when you think of cops, it’s in a negative way, but this is a great program. We get to see them in a new way,” said member Kaylah Riley.
The Orlando Police Department’s Dueling Dragons team won a gold medal in a competition last weekend.