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TOMAH Daniel Seehafer asked cadets to raise their hands if they planned to pursue law enforcement careers.

Three-fourths of the hands went up, which is exactly what Seehafer wanted to see.

Theres a need for this, he said. We wanted to be able to plant seeds.

Seehafer, department commander for the Wisconsin American Legion, said promoting law enforcement was the goal of last weeks Wisconsin American Legion Law Enforcement Academy held at the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy at Fort McCoy. Thirty-seven teenagers between their junior and senior years of high school spent a week at the academy learning about law enforcement techniques and careers in the law enforcement field.

The academy was co-sponsored by the American Legion and Wisconsin Professional Police Association. Eighty students filled out applications that included an essay on why they wanted to attend.

The week coincided with verdicts in two high-profile trials in which police officers were acquitted in fatal shootings, and cadet Anthony Taylor said hes concerned about the image of police.

People have been bashing the cops constantly on the internet, said Taylor, a student at Beloit Memorial High School. Thats all I see. Thats all my friends talk about how nasty the cops are.

He acknowledged there are cases when police officers make bad judgments and must be held accountable but believes most officers conduct themselves in good faith.

People bash all the cops, and I think thats unnecessary theyre here to help you out, and people just dont see that, he said.

Cadet Kelsey Meston of Rockland said she has wanted to be a police officer since she was four years old even though nobody in her family works in law enforcement. She wants to be a deputy sheriff.

That has been my lifelong dream, said Meston, a student at Bangor High School. I have always been enthusiastic about becoming a police officer.

Students took 32 hours of classes that covered K9 units, bomb squads, crime scene investigation, drug/drunk driving enforcement and community policing. Law enforcement professionals from across the state served as instructors and mentors, and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel spoke to cadets Thursday night. He took students through a case he worked as an assistant district attorney in Waukesha County to show how crimes are investigated and the factors to determine how charges are filed.

Taylor said he didnt realize there were so many different law enforcement careers, ranging from patrol officers to crime lab technicians to crime data analysts. After hearing all the different branches of law enforcement, he still wants to serve on the front line.

I want to be a patrol officer, he said. Theyre the ones who stop the stuff from happening.

Meston enjoyed meeting people from different parts of the state.

I know I made some life-long friendships here, she said. Im from a village, so its intriguing to see people coming from bigger cities. ... Its wonderful to see them coming together. Were all here for the same reason.

Ozaukee County Sheriff Jim Johnson, who served as one of the instructors, said law enforcement needs young people. He said fewer young people are pursuing law enforcement careers and that the academy gives law enforcement an opportunity to present itself in a positive light.

He said the cadets, a roughly equal number of boys and girls, have responded.

These kids are smart; theyre eager to do stuff, Johnson said. They reaffirmed my faith in kids of the future.

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'They're here to help you out': Students learn about law enforcement at week-long academy (copy) - La Crosse Tribune