Registration Open for Maplewood Junior Police Academy
MAPLEWOOD, NJ – The Maplewood Police Department will be holding “Future Police Academy” this summer, a program which is open to Maplewood residents who are in 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
The tentative date of the program is the week of July 23 to July 27, with a potential second week from July 30 to August 3 depending on the number of applications, according to program organizers.
According to a press release about the program, one of the biggest components of how the Maplewood Township Police Department operates is through Community Oriented Policing. Officers participate in teaching L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs), which helps build relationships between students and officers in the elementary schools as well as participating in after school programs such as The Hub and The Loft.”
The “Future Police Academy” would be a way for officers “to continue to grow the bond between the police department and the youth of our community while they continue their educational experience,” stated the press release.
The “Future Police Academy” will help show the participants how a police department functions and serves its community on an everyday basis.
Program organizers stated that “it is very important for the young men and women to be able to see that the job of a police officer may be very different from what they may have seen on television or read on the internet.”
The “Future Police Academy” was held previously in the early 2000’s and in 2016.
Some of the planned activities include Drill and Ceremony, Physical Training, Teamwork Building, and Motor Vehicle Stops according to organizers, and a day trip to the Essex County Police Academy to show the participants what the recruits experience prior to becoming law enforcement officers is also planned.
During the week the participants will be “taught to practice the discipline, compassion, and team work that our officers exhibit on a daily basis,” stated organizers.
The Maplewood Township Police Department sincerely hopes that the “Future Police Academy” will continue to build stronger relationships with the community to ensure that as a team we make the Township of Maplewood a better place for our youth and community as a whole.
The tentative cost for this program will be $75 per participant and we will only be accepting 50 applications. If you’re interested in having your child participate in the “Future Police Academy” applications will be made available on Tuesday May 8, 2018 at the dispatch window. All applications are due back Friday June 1, 2018. If you have any questions pertaining to our program please contact Detective Steven Gyimoty (sgyimoty@twp.maplewood.nj.us) (973-762- 3400 ext 7607).
Related articles