SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A group of 50 young girls got a chance to participate in the Sacramento Police Department's VIP Academy Experience.
The tour was organized by Sac PD's outreach team and six different local organizations.
"The purpose of today is to increase positive experiences that our young people have with law enforcement," said Paris Dye, a community leader that belongs to the Black Child Legacy Campaign.
Dye told ABC10 the goal was for young ladies to be inspired by women in law enforcement. The girls got to try a use of force simulator, bond with K9s, and be a part of different traffic stop scenarios.
"It's so fun and I could [learn to] be confident in myself and maybe when I grow up, I will be a police officer," said 11-year-old Auhleyah Davis.
Davis said she's wanted to be a cop since she was 3 years old. The VIP experience gave her and other young girls an opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of an officer.
"I hope a lot of these young ladies join the police department when they get older," added Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn.
While it was important for the girls to have a good time at the academy, Dye explained there was a bigger purpose to have them bond with officers.
"We want to see the face of law enforcement look like our community," Dye said. "The only way that's going to happen is if women get more interested. People of color start joining [too] if they start seeing that there's opportunities for them."
Continue the conversation with Daniela on Facebook.