Helping to transform the traditional role of the police officer into both a mentor and friend, the Medford Township Police Department is currently holding a weeklong Junior Police Academy day camp through Friday, Aug. 12 at the Medford Police Department located at 91 Union St.
Providing young citizens with an introduction to law enforcement, this camp is covering a multitude of topics including the history of law enforcement, gangs, motor vehicle and criminal law, DWI enforcement, teens and drug/alcohol use, crime scene and evidentiary processing, fire/EMS services, CPR training, police K9 units and more.
“I think this camp is good for both the community and the kids because it provides the cadets with positive role models in town that they can trust. It also helps to foster a bond between the youth and the police,” said Lt. Arthur Waterman, who joined the Medford Township Police on June 6, 1998, and who now oversees its community relations unit.
From 9 a.m. to noon on each day of the camp, local Medford police officers join in to help motivate the young cadets to become outstanding citizens and to empower them to act as a positive influence in the local community. The officers also seek to encourage this year’s 26 young cadets to become partners in building safer schools and a safer overall community.
“I really liked learning about what police officers do on a day-to-day basis,” said Addison Goldfinger, a 14-year-old cadet and student at Medford Memorial Middle School. “Police officers have to push through struggles to catch the bad guys or to solve a mystery — no matter what.”
At the camp, cadets are involved in various classroom-learning activities and participate in physical fitness training all while asking the officers any questions that came to their minds. Also during the camp, cadets are able to witness a station tour, participate in a crime scene investigation and a military drill as well as learn how law enforcement has evolved throughout the years.
“We can all test ourselves and push ourselves to achieve our goals. Today, the goal is to keep running further and faster, and you can all accomplish anything,” Sgt. Jason Deroian told the cadets during physical training at Freedom Park on Tuesday, Aug. 9. “The best accomplishments are the ones that are hardest to achieve.”
Deroian is the member of the Medford Police Department who first came up with the idea for the Academy, modeling it after other town police departments that have hosted similar youth camps. Hearing of the positive experiences other departments had with this type of camp, he thought; why not host one right here in Medford?
One of the most memorable moments of the camp included a helicopter demonstration that campers got to witness on the Monday the camp began. In addition, cadets are set to take a field trip to Central Communications in Westhampton on Thursday, Aug. 11, where they will take a tour of the Public Safety Center.
To qualify for participation in the Academy, campers were required to be a Medford Township resident, be 11 to 14 years old and be recommended by a sponsor. They also needed to be in good academic standing, be able to participate in physical fitness activities and a structured program and have no criminal background.
“It’s been absolutely awesome to see how young cadets ages 11 to 14 are engaging and asking questions. Seeing the smiles on their faces is priceless,” Deroian, who has been a police officer in Medford for 18 years, said. “Our goal is to help the youth grow and mold into good, productive young adults.”
