ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County sheriff’s deputies, Orlando police officers and some adventurous teens continued working together in the Dueling Dragons mentorship program’s 14th year.
We spoke with 16-year-old Kaylee Johnson who participated in Saturday’s competition at Lake Fairview.
“When I get older, I want to become a police officer, so it’s really teaching me a lot,” she said.
According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, the goal of the program is to get these teenagers inspired and comfortable with police.
“I have seen the change, I’ve heard the stories, I have talked to these kids who didn’t like law enforcement when they started, and now they are like, ‘These guys aren’t so bad.’ It’s also a chance for officers to learn about the lives of some of the those in the communities they serve,” Mina said.
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The Dueling Dragons program was founded by community leader Andrea Eliscu, who got the approval from then Orlando Chief of Police Val Demings, the first woman to lead the department.
“About 15 years ago, there was a lot on the news about police officers shooting Black men and young Black men and I just felt that there’s got to be a different way,” Eliscu said.
If you are not familiar with dragon boats, they are like giant canoes; 41-feet long, 635 pounds empty and capable of holding 21 people. Everyone has to be synchronized to move the boat forward.
In this program, paddlers are selected through their participation in Orlando Parks and Rec community centers, including Rosemont, Englewood, Jackson, Mercy Drive, and Parramore Kidz Zone. Kaylee told us she is looking forward to one day being one of the officers in this program.
“We all have a great time with just getting around each other, laughing, playing games, snacking, everything,” she said.
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