The dynamic junior police academies all over America

(Part II of “Igniting Scouting, CAT and ROTC from K-12…”)

Upon the Senate ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1990, the Philippines sent an official delegation to Geneva, Switzerland to present our laws protecting the rights of our children from infancy to adolescence (birth to 18 years old). Being one of the delegates, I was appointed by our CRC head Dr. Alma de Leon to chair the special CRC Popularization committee made up of representatives from the Departments of Justice, Education, Social Welfare, Health and Labor. We traveled to major Philippine cities to meet with local government counterparts to make the treaty understood and accepted.

One alarming discovery we made was that each city had only half the policemen ideally required for the population. This dismayed me so much that I have tried ever since to find the cause of the missing policemen on whom the security of all our communities rests.

The U.S. Police officer-led highschool curriculum for ages 15 to 21

All the federal states of America offer a rigorous, police officer-led high school curriculum developed for young men and women expressing interest in a law enforcement career. The program provides a better understanding of law enforcement for students no matter what career path they eventually follow, and also provides a high quality recruiting resource for the police department.

Los Angeles Police Academy Magnet School Program curriculum goes beyond the basic high school course requirements, providing students with specialized coursework, training, mentoring, work and volunteer opportunities. It includes instructions in: 1) Communication skills; 2) Basic concepts of criminal law and the criminal justice system; 3) The role of science related to law enforcement; 4) Community service to develop good citizenship and ongoing community involvement. A full-time Police Officer II is employed as the program coordinator. Currently 500 students are participating in the program citywide.

The San Antonio Police Explorer Program in Texas is open to young men and women ages 14 (and completed the 8th grade) and not yet 21 years old with an interest in learning more about careers in the field of law enforcement. 

Agencies from the federal state and local levels coordinate the Law Enforcement Exploring programs throughout the United States. These community-based programs are managed by the local police departments, which includes the sheriffs, chiefs of police, and the state police. In addition, many federal agencies offer their support: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), Federal Air Marshal Service, US Army Military Police, US Customs and Border Protection Service by providing national programs, scholarships, workshops, and literature.

Nationally, over 33,000 Explorers and 8,425 adult volunteers participate in Law Enforcement Exploring. The most popular Law Enforcement Exploring careers include: Police Officers, Sheriffs, Federal Agents, State Police/Highway Patrol, Probation Officers, Military Police, and Correction Officers.

New Jersey Junior Police Academy is an outgrowth of community policing. This program transforms the traditional role of the police officer into one of mentor and friend, while encouraging our young citizens to be partners in building safer schools and communities. Young people will learn and understand what police officers do and why they do it. While the academy’s graduates are not police officers, they are the community leaders of tomorrow.

The Neighborhood Watch is the most effective crime prevention program in the US, bringing citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer. It traces its roots back to the days of colonial settlements, when night watchman patrolled the streets. The modern version of Neighborhood Watch was developed in response to requests from sheriffs and police chiefs who were looking for a crime prevention program that would involve citizens and address an increasing number of burglaries. Launched nationally in 1972, Neighborhood Watch counts on citizens to organize themselves and work with law enforcement to keep a trained eye and ear on their communities at all times of day and night. In just 10 years, 12 percent of the population has been involved in a Neighborhood Watch. It reduces opportunities of crime to occur.

Junior Police Academy of Alaska awakens the youth’s sense of citizenship

Police Chief Thomas Clemons of Seward, Alaska addresses a junior high school class: “Just for a moment, imagine that you are a middle school student. All you know about the police comes from YouTube or social media. A police officer enters your classroom, stands before you and says, ‘My name is Officer Smith. I am here today because I care about your safety and because you are important to this community. I’m a police officer and I need your help.’”

For over two decades, the Junior Police Academy (JPA) has supported the efforts of police officers across the country who know first-hand the power of simply reaching out to the young people in their community.

“2017 is a critical year for this nation. There’s no getting around it: the sustained anti-cop rhetoric of the past year has taken a toll on officer morale, straining the bonds of trust between police officers and the citizens they serve. But we believe the JPA has a historic opportunity. The most pressing and urgent issue of the day is school safety. For over two decades, the JPA has been a gathering place for police officers that go the extra mile for the young people in the community. Within a few minutes, these officers can sweep away years of YouTube-tainted attitudes and awaken a young person’s sense of citizenship. Working together, police officers and young people hold the power not only to heal our communities but to make them thrive again.”

(Erratum: Last week’s column should have mentioned that on March 10, 2017, 700 OBMC cadets, will salute me with San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez and Col. Gregorio Hernandez, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence of the Philippine Navy.)