It is never too early to start thinking about careers. Middle schoolers who have an interest in policing will have the opportunity to get a taste of the profession at the Youth Citizen’s Police Academy, a weeklong instructional event which will be held at Matthew Turner Elementary School.

From July 18 to 22, incoming seventh and eighth-graders will learn about how the Benicia Police Department operates. Police officers will deliver presentations, and students will participate in mock scenarios such as crime scene processing. Topics covered include arrest procedures, police ethics, criminal law, collecting evidence, cyberbullying, operating a police radar gun, handling equipment and more. There will also be a discussion on gun safety, and students will be given a chance to operate a laser and simunitions weapon– not unlike a paintball gun– at a range. This will be done under adult supervision, and students will not be handling live firearms. There will also be demonstrations performed by the SWAT team, Motorcycle Unit and K-9 Unit. The course will conclude with a graduation ceremony held at Matthew Turner Elementary.

Classes will be held from Monday, July 18 to Friday, July 22. Upon arrival, students will be given books, outlines, a binder and a Youth Citizen’s Police Academy shirt. Lunch will be provided on Friday.

Interested participants must be going into either 7th or 8th grade, have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and attend either Benicia Middle School or be a resident of Benicia. The class is limited to 30 students, who will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. All applicants must pass a background screening, which is included with the application. The application can be downloaded at http://www.ci.benicia.ca.us/police and must be dropped off at the Police Department no later than 5 p.m., Monday, June 27. The department is located at 200 East L St.

Matthew Turner Elementary is located at 540 Rose Drive. For more information about this course, visit ci.benicia.ca.us/police or call Sgt. Kenny Hart at 746-4244.

Sharing is caring!