*MEDIA ADVISORY* Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement Concludes Annual Camp with Stair Climb to Enforce Importance of Advocacy

Any media members interested in attending are asked to contact Sgt. Det. John Boyle, Boston Police Media Relations, at 617-343-4520.

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement (MAWLE) annual MAWLE and Me Summer Camp will conclude Friday with a stair climb, in honor of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County’s annual “Ginormous Climb.” 

The MAWLE and Me Summer Camp Program accepts young women Grades 6-8. This year, 24 young women explored the various career paths available to women in law enforcement through demonstrations, discussions, field trips, group activities and more. The comprehensive experience is an extension of Boston Police’s 30×30 pledge, a national initiative to advance and support women in policing through representation, bias-free policy and procedures, and promotion of equitable hiring. 

Each year, the camp concludes with a service project, allowing campers to reflect on and participate in an activity that incorporates themes of advocacy and service. 

When:

Friday, Aug. 15, at 9:30 a.m.

Where:

Boston Police Department Headquarters, 1 Schroeder Plaza. The campers will be climbing in the main stairwell behind the elevators on the Department’s campus. 

What:

MAWLE and Me campers, joined by volunteer chaperones and Boston Police Department Headquarters staff, will push themselves to climb up and down four flights of stairs as many times as they can in the spirit of advocacy. 

The climb is the MAWLE and Me version of the Suffolk County District Attorney Office’s “Ginormous Climb,” where hundreds of climbers and volunteers climb about 60 floors of stairwells while raising money and awareness for the benefit of child survivors of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Following the climb, campers will tour the Boston Police Headquarters.

To truly understand the causes they’re climbing for, the campers took a field trip earlier in the week to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. There they learned about the invaluable work the Children’s Advocacy Center does to connect children with the resources for healing after experiencing the traumas of abuse. 

Most importantly, participating in the initiative and learning from members of the Children’s Advocacy Center gave the campers the confidence and knowledge to comfortably advocate for themselves and others. 

Campers also learned about other careers in law enforcement. They took a behind-the-scenes tour of Boston Logan International Airport facilitated by Massport, attended a mock trial held at Boston Municipal Court with Chief Justice Tracy Lee-Lyons, toured the FBI Boston Field Office, heard an online safety presentation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and watched a defensive tactics drill facilitated by retired Boston Police Officer Darryl Owens and a drone exercise led by Boston Police Officer Chris Goodman.