Shadow Day involved 23,000 pupils this year in Latvia

23,000 pupils and 2,300 companies participated in this year’s Shadow Day on April 1. Pupils are taking advantage of the opportunity to try out a profession and, perhaps, choose their future career, Latvian Television reported.

Young people in the regions are also actively taking advantage of the opportunity to 'shadow' professionals in various fields. One of the areas where interest is particularly high is the police force. 

"Of the 25 children who signed up to shadow in the municipality, nine are with us. We’re delighted about that," said Indulis Rūsis, chief of the Valmiera Municipality Police, describing the young people’s interest.

But why did the young people choose to shadow police officers specifically?

Elīze Kruglešova, a shadowing student from Valka: “I plan to pursue a career in law in the future. I was debating whether or not to go to university, and then I came across the police academy. I wanted to get a glimpse of their daily work and ask questions.”

Shadowing student from Valmiera, Sebastians Belasovs: "My mom works for the municipal police, and she suggested I come and see how they work."

Ance Melnbārde, a student from Vijciems Parish in Valka municipality: “I chose the municipal police because I want to follow in my sister’s footsteps. She currently works for the State Police, and I’m very interested in that.”

When asked if the young people were able to understand the differences between the work of the municipal police and the State Police, they answered in the affirmative. After a brief tour of the municipal police premises, the young people were divided into teams and accompanied officers on their daily duties.

A film crew from Latvian Television also joined in. Law enforcement officers showed the locations where they most frequently receive calls or use surveillance cameras to detect violations, most often related to alcohol consumption in public places, including among young people.

"For example, they see the police pulling up, and everyone immediately jumps over the railings here and runs away," described municipal police inspector Raimonds Ribelis, outlining the daily routine. "They know that everything is being filmed here anyway, but today they’re told that, and tomorrow [they] forget."

Overall, the situation was calm on Wednesday. While observing the police officers’ work, only one violation was detected – a car parked without a permit.

"We also need to see the reality of what happens on the street. Hopefully, there won’t be any serious incidents or situations requiring intervention, but they will see some of the real side of life," commented Rūsis, chief of the municipal police.

The police noted that interest in police work remains high every year. And often this results in someone who once shadowed an officer joining the force several years later.