Next community innovation from Chief Scott Bixby’s Police Dept. is a novel concept, a Citizens Teen Academy, due to roll out in July.
Lt. Sam Agaiby, in charge of the program, describes it as a student version of the Citizens Academy that has been cementing relations between residents and cops for the past eight years.
Open to 14 to 19 year olds, the eight-week Teen Academy will be modeled after the adult academy course plan, four-hour blocks, one night a week.
“For the Citizens Academy,” said Lt. Agaiby, “we put on classroom sessions where we teach a range of subjects on police work – investigations, patrol, forensics, every area.”
One of the tallest officers in the Police Dept. said he is working with Supt. Dave LaRose and School District administrators to identify “kids who will benefit from coming in and learning about the department.
“The idea is to educate them, to give them a full understanding of what we do, to bridge the gap that we all know exists between teenagers and the police.”
What kinds of teens is the department pursuing?
“We are not targeting any specific types,” Lt. Agaiby said. “We are looking for kids who want a better understanding of how law enforcement works.
“We hope to give them a better understanding of what we do, and importantly, why we do what we do.”
Lt. Agaiby said the department will not mind if the Citizens Teen Academy becomes a recruiting tool for upper grade students casting about for a career.
