The program was open to students who had an interest in learning about the department and Mt. Laurel’s officers.
It was a lesson in law enforcement for students this week when the Mt. Laurel Police Department held its second annual Junior Police Academy.
The five-day program was open to students in grades six and seven who had an interest in learning about the department and some of the issues and challenges facing Mt. Laurel’s officers.
As with an academy for adults, students in the Junior Police Academy wore uniforms, underwent military drills and learned about general police work.
The academy included a tour of the Mt. Laurel Police Department, lessons in police ethics, firearms safety and familiarization, a demonstration by police K-9s, CPR training, rides through an Emergency Vehicle Operator Course and more.
Lt. Judy Lynn Schiavone and Officer Lester Hann organized and supervised this year’s program, along with other officers serving as instructors.
Schiavone said while many people believe the academy is similar to a boot camp or “scared straight” program; the academy is more of an introduction to law enforcement and what training is like in an actual police academy.
According to Schiavone, the academy teaches students to work together similar to real officers, such as during the runs when they learn to encourage one another and finish as a team rather than individuals in a competition.
“The thing that we try to teach is that you’re not an individual — you’re a group, so support each other,” Schiavone said.
Schiavone said she also hopes the academy will allow students to take the positive aspects they learn about law enforcement and share them with others.
“If each one of them can go to school in September and just tell one person what a great experience they had, to me that’s just huge for the whole township,” Schiavone said.
Two of the students at the academy last week were 12-year-olds Reese Conovor and Ty Smith.
Reese and Ty were the first two students who got a chance to ride with officers in police cars through an obstacle course in the back parking lot of Harrington Middle School as the officers dodged traffic cones and made sharps turns to demonstrate Emergency Vehicle Operator driving.
Reese, who said he wants to become a police officer when he’s older, described the ride as “awesome and bumpy” at the same time.
“I want to help people, and with the academy, I learned that it’s hard work, but it feels good when you accomplish something,” Reese said.
For Ty, he said he also joined the academy to learn more about the work of police officers.
“Some of the stuff is hard and difficult, but it’s a pretty cool job. They just have to work hard to accomplish everything,” Ty said.
At the end of the week, students who completed the academy were rewarded with their own graduation ceremony to commend their efforts.
To learn more about future programs or events from the Mt. Laurel Police Department, follow the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mountlaurelpd.
