Tommy Curtis looks forward to the days when he trades in his police uniform for a t-shirt and basketball shorts.

Curtis, a longtime juvenile investigator at Vicksburg Police heads the Randy Naylor Summer Youth Program, which focuses on athletics and character building.

“Where the kids are at, you’re going to see me,” Curtis said.

Curtis joined VPD in 2005 and has been a juvenile investigator for about seven years. He’s been working with the summer program for years and recently became its leader.

“I just have a passion for working with young people,” he said. “I always wanted to give back to my hometown. If it wasn’t for people who worked with me when I was young wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Applications for the program that is open to participants ages 7 to 18 will be distributed in local schools beginning at the end of this month. They will also be available at the front desk of police headquarters. Cost to attend the program that runs June 1 through July 10 is $10. The rest of the cost is supplemented by contributions.

“The program is strictly run off donations,” Curtis said. “Without this community being able to support the program, it wouldn’t be possible,” he said.

Last year, the summer athletic program implemented education on six core values — trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Speakers from the community come in each week to show students the importance of these values, he said. Past speakers have included doctors, firefighters and other police officers.

“Everybody knows kids love to play basketball, but we have lots of other things we do,” he said.

The program runs from 4 to 10 p.m. several nights a week.

“It gives the kids something to when crime is most common,” he said. “By the time they get home they are worn out.”

At the end of the summer, the participants will attend the program’s second annual banquet, Curtis said. About 300 students attended the 2014 banquet at Vicksburg City Auditorium.

“It was a great success,” he said.

Anyone interested in volunteering or donating to the Randy Naylor Summer Youth Program, call Curtis at 601-831-8084 or 601-636-2511.