The Evesham Township Police Department is once again offering some of the township’s younger residents a chance to learn more about the world of law enforcement.
For one week this summer, from July 18 through July 22, the ETPD will hold its annual Junior Police Academy day camp.
On those five days from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Evesham residents ages 11 to 14 will be introduced to various law enforcement-related topics, such as the history of law enforcement, processing crime scenes and evidence, motor vehicle law, DWI enforcement, active shooter scenarios, gangs, drug use and more.
Each day of the academy will also start with an hour of military drill and physical training.
According to Evesham Police Lt. Ron Ritter, the academy is a great way for young people interested in law enforcement to see what it’s actually like to be a police officer.
“Everybody always plays cops and robbers when they’re a kid and it gets sensationalized by TV, so with the academy they get to meet real police officers and see what we do during the day,” he said.
Ritter said the academy provides a non-threatening atmosphere where young people can express themselves while also allowing the department to form long-lasting lines of communication with that younger age group.
“Realistically, the uniform itself can be intimidating, so we try to break down that wall with one-on-one contact,” Ritter said. “We get to know their names, who they are, we high five them, we’ll race them and challenge them to see who can do more pushups during morning exercises.”
Ritter said those relationships can pay dividends as the years go by, since those who go through the academy often look to join the department themselves as they grow older, and participants grow more comfortable with officers as they enter high school.
“We want to show them a realistic version of police that are here to help and that there isn’t a police officer that they can’t walk up to,” Ritter said.
The qualifications to be accepted into the program are as follows:
• Must be a resident of Evesham Township
• Must be 11 to 14 years old as of July 1
• Must be recommended by a sponsor such as a principal, guidance department, law enforcement agency, community representative, coach or religious leader
• Must be in good academic standing
• Must be able to participate in physical fitness activities such as push-ups, sit-ups, light Calisthenics
• Must be able to participate in a structured program
• Must have no criminal background or disciplinary problems that may preclude him or her from successful participation in the academy
Applications to the academy will be available Monday through Friday at the Evesham Township Police Department, 984 Tuckerton Road, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 9 p.m. Applications can also be downloaded at the Evesham Police website at www.eveshampd.org.
Applications must be returned to the Evesham Police Department by June 1, as spaces are limited to 20 people.
There is no cost to attend the academy, but only those who go through the application process have a chance to be selected.
Those interested in learning more about the ETPD Junior Police Academy are advised to contact Ritter through email at ritterr@eveshampd.org or Patrol Officer Jessica Lettieri at lettierij@eveshampd.org. They can also be contacted by telephone at (856) 983–1116.
