Hope In Tottenham in conjunction with North Area police invited the Taskforce back to Haringey to visit students at Gladesmore Community School in South Tottenham.
This time it was the turn of a group of very excited Y7 pupils to meet the Taskforce officers and ask them whatever they wanted to know.
A student asks questions about the battering ram.
Some students got to try out the comfiness of the passenger seat in the carrier.
Deputy headteacher Engin Djemali said he was very happy with the way the visit went. “The value of this event is in helping appease any anxiety the children may have and to show them that the police work with us in the community”. He added, “These officers really care about the young people – that was very evident from the presentation they gave”.
The mixed group of fifteen Y7 pupils were chosen as part of their transition to secondary school with the event also acting as an enrichment activity. Gladesmore Community School likes to start early on with the process of keeping its pupils as safe as possible and the officers also gave the youngsters some advice on staying safe with phones and being street safe.
After the presentation, the pupils were allowed to climb in the van, try on the gasmasks and kit and ask any questions they wanted. One of the officers Sgt Aguirre commented that it was lovely to see so many smiling faces adding “they can see the police in a different light and that has to be good”.
Several of the boys even told Hope In Tottenham they were interested in being police officers while others commented on how much fun it was to try on the protective gear.
Hope In Tottenham would like to thank the Territorial Support Group officers for making this visit possible and the staff and Y7 pupils at Gladesmore School for making them so welcome.
-Christina Davis, Police Engagement Manager