The police department is now accepting applications for its Youth Police Academy
In August, children enrolled in the Palmyra Police Department’s Youth Police Academy will get a taste of life as a police officer.
The police department is accepting applications for the program, which is open to prospective sixth-, seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students. It will run from Aug. 6 through Aug. 10.
Some of the topics will be crime scene investigation, motor vehicle stops and fire safety.
It’s the fifth year the police department has operated the program, Chief Scott Pearlman said. The idea is to educate young people about police work and build a stronger bond between law enforcement and youth in the community.
“They’ll spend a week learning about emergency services,” Pearlman said. “It’s also to give them a taste” of a career in public safety.
Students in the program will mainly be spending time with police officers, but they will also meet members of the fire department, ambulance association and hospital paramedics, Pearlman said.
The program, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, will include classroom activities, hands-on activities and police demonstrations. One field trip with transportation provided will also be part of the week.
“They’ll spend time with our detectives and learn how detectives handle a case,” Pearlman said.
One of the goals of the program is to build self-confidence and discipline in the children, according to a description of the academy posted online.
Family and friends will be invited for a graduation ceremony on the final day of the academy.
“I consider (the program) very successful,” Pearlman said. “Every year we get a few more kids than the previous years.”
Pearlman said the number of children who enroll in the program varies but is usually in the teens.
“Our goal is we really don’t want to go above 20, but we really don’t want to turn anyone away either,” he added.
The academy is open to kids who attend public or private school in Palmyra. Students who attend schools outside of the borough will be considered, but their acceptance will be based on availability.
Applications for the Youth Police Academy are available at the police department’s headquarters or by email by sending a message requesting a form to police@boroughofpalmyra.com.
