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by Ken Klippenstein

The 39,000 children who attended the Metro Detroit Youth Day on Wednesday were treated to a free lunch along with the blend of entertainment and educational exhibits for which the annual event, now in its 37th year, is widely known in Detroit.

One previously unreported exhibit, however, may not be so well known.

At the event, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) set up a tent exhibit that allowed children to use the battering rams Border officers might use to break down suspects' doors. In a video obtained exclusively by The Young Turks shows one small child struggling with a battering ram before a CBP official assists him. Following some advice, the child successfully swings the battering ram against what appears to be a metallic training device.

As the boy swings the battering ram, he can be heard shouting, "Hi-yah!"

Ken Hammond, a Public Affairs and Border Community Liaison for CBP, confirmed to TYT the agency's presence at the youth event as well as the exhibit.

"It’s part of our border community relations," Hammond explained. "We are part of Metro Youth Day simply because it gives the community and young kids exposure to Customs and Border Protection. We [also] have K9 demonstrations [and] a recruiting booth for older individuals."

"It’s basically community interaction and that’s part of our charge. We want to be the agency that cares about the public we serve," Hammond said.

Metro Detroit Youth Day takes place in Belle Isle, an island park in Detroit, Michigan. It is a nonprofit whose co-founder and current chairman is Ed Deeb, is the former President and CEO of the Michigan Food and Beverage Association. Sargeant Curtis Perry of the of the Detroit Police Cadets serves on the organization's executive committee.

According to Metro Detroit Youth Day's website, Deeb founded the event "to show youngsters that business people, the community and the food industry cared about them and respect them."

Metro Detroit Youth Day's has over 260 business sponsors according to its website.

***Ken Klippenstein is a senior investigative reporter for TYT. He can be reached securely via Signal at 202-510-1268, on Twitter @kenklippenstein or via email: [email protected].

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