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The annual Kerrville Junior Citizen Police Academy offers to pre-teens and teenagers a look inside the requirements and operation of law enforcement units, and this summers class will finish their two weeks of instruction on Friday.

Officers leading the sessions picked a handful of students to be interviewed while the rest continued in a discussion of gang awareness, one day last week.

Students from the class of 26 included Katrina Rodriguez, 11; Roy Parks, 11; Greyson Murphy, 13; and Ashton Britton, 14.

They are all first-timers in this event, while the rest of the class includes some young students who are alumni repeating the JCPA.

This group of four was interviewed about halfway through the nine mornings of classes, but already had definite opinions about what they had learned so far.

Lessons for the students

The class schedule included the following topics, led by Kerrville Police Officers Juan Trevizo and Paul Gonzales with guest speakers Kathy Andrews, KPD Investigator Machetta of the S.O.U., Texas Game Warden Buckaloo, Police Officer Beard, Sheriffs Deputy Jimmy Poole, Paul Huchton of 911, Special Agent Triola of the FBI, and Kerrville EMS and Fire Department.

Day One started with an opening ceremony and discussion of a code of conduct, dress code and ethics; and introduction to the JPA program; and the first of several lessons on the flag ceremony and flag etiquette.

Day Two included health and wellness, and discussion of the duties of a school resource officer and of internet safety and bullying.

Day Three offered alcohol awareness and information about the Special Operations Unit of the police department and their equipment.

Day Four featured visit by a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Game Warden; and a discussion of gang awareness with the students.

Day Five included Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), fingerprints and student investigation of a mock crime scene.

Topics during the second week were scheduled to include an introduction to crime prevention, traffic laws and safety, mock traffic stops, gun safety, public speaking, police communications and 911, the FBI, juvenile probation and operation of the local Juvenile Detention Center, first aid basics and fire safety, and a tour of a Fire Department ambulance and rescue truck.

The two-week academy was to end with a full flag ceremony, letters of appreciation to the supervising officers, a graduation ceremony and a meal provided for the students and their parents by the volunteers of the Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association.

Student reactions

Parks said, I signed up to come, to learn about the daily life of police officers. I know one of the officers here personally.

Murphy said hes already decided he wants to be a Crime Scene Investigator himself when hes older.

Im interested in the science of it, he said.

Rodriguez immediate response was, I want to be a profiler for the FBI and save peoples lives.

Ive always wanted to be a park ranger and I wanted to learn from the game warden, Britton said. I like wildlife.

Parks said during week one of the sessions he most enjoyed learning more about the Parks and Wildlife Department.

I liked the CSI lesson the best, but the Parks & Wildlife information was good, too, Murphy said.

Rodriguez said the S.O.U. officers didnt bring the whole van they work from, but they brought an assortment of their specialized equipment for the young students to examine.

Britton said she especially enjoyed the game wardens presentation.

The young students said another game warden brought a trained drug detection and tracking dog, a Labrador retriever that was about four and a half years old.

The students in the class hid a cell phone in the building at the Doyle Community Center, they said, and the dog found it when instructed by its handler.

Parks said he learned Labradors are better for that job than German Shepherds when law enforcement departments choose dogs to be trained.

(Officer Treviso predicted correctly that any of his students who were interviewed probably would pick the session with the drug dog as one of their favorites.)

The students said they tell their families about their lessons each day, such as trying the drunk goggles one day.

Britton said she was challenged to catch a plastic bottle while wearing the goggles, and couldnt do it.

Parks said, They had three levels of drunk with the goggles and one of the exercises was to wear the goggles and walk a straight line. Only one girl in the class could do it.

Asked about the bullying, safety and gang awareness information, they all said they had seen or were otherwise experienced with incidents at school.

Britton said, Im going to Tivy High School next year and I think its going to be crazy.

Parks said hes previously had conversations with a couple classmates who told him one was selling drugs to the other. He said he and another friend didnt want to be snitches, but they chose to tell a school administrator.

Rodriguez said she had seen fights at school, even back to fifth grade; and Murphy agreed, saying hes seen a lot of fights at Hal Peterson Middle School. Sometimes the fights werent seen by adults because the students involved chose hidden locations behind lockers in the locker rooms or in the bathrooms.

The flag etiquette lessons continued each day, with the young students first activity each day the raising of the American flag outside the building, and their last activity the lowering of it.

Each time a trio of students were picked to unfold the flag and raise it, and another trio chosen to lower it and fold it again.

Each time the rest of the students were expected to stand at attention on the parking lot and observe, until dismissed.

More here:
Jr. Police Academy a win for students, law enforcement - Community journal