The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kids get chance to learn about law enforcement
Learning about self-defense, traffic enforcement and physical training is how 23 middle school students from Euclid started their week.
These students, who are participants in Euclid Police Department’s Junior Police Academy, are spending the week receiving handson training while learning about the different careers available in law enforcement.
The kids have also experienced the BCI Crime Lab brought in by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, and learned about OVI and field sobriety testing, getting familiar with a police car and equipment, and reporting suspicious persons or activities in a presentation by Lake Metroparks Ranger Brandy Hanusosky. There also was a K-9 demonstration and a narcotics presentation.
The students will also visit with Municipal Court Judge Deborah LeBarron, and hear presentations from the FBI, SWAT, Correction and The Detective Bureau as well as talks on weapons safety and a range demonstration as the week progresses.
The program will conclude with the Junior Police Academy Cadet Graduation on June 16.
Avitel Henderson, 12, of Euclid, who wants to be a K-9 officer when she grows up, decided to attend the program for a second year in a row and said so far she has liked the K-9 and narcotics presentations the best.
Kameron Capiccioni, of Euclid, who is also a second-year attendee, wants to learn more about the police officers and what they do and notes he liked the K-9 presentation the best. He also hopes to make new friends while participating.
Dino Panagiotou , 11, is a first-year attendee who said he just wanted to see what police officers do and learn about the different kinds of officers. His favorite part of the program so far has been the BCI crime lab and the stories the officer had to tell.
“The Euclid Police Department’s Junior Police Academy is designed to motivate young people to be outstanding citizens through law enforcement education,” according to the department’s website. “While being a part of our community policing program, the Junior Police Academy encourages our young citizens to better understand the role of the police officer while at the same time help build trust among youth and the police in general.”
Euclid Police officer Ed Bonchak describes the program as being about character and character education through law enforcement.
“We are not just teaching the kids about the K-9s or the SWAT team or about being a park ranger; we are trying to teach them life skills, things that they are going to be able to take and use every day, whether it’s at school, this summer on vacation,” Bonchak said. “I don’t care where it’s at, that’s the kind of stuff we are all about.”
The Junior Police Academy has been popular since its return about six years ago with this year’s program having a waiting list. The program can accommodate up to 24 kids and applications are accepted on a first-come basis.
The program is supported through Euclid Police Athletic League and staffed by officers who volunteer their time with help from students in the Explorer program and people coming in from the community.
Bonchak aims the program at middle school kids because he feels that is a tough age. He believes this is a crucial turning point where they start losing kids.
“Kids are starting to form opinions, for whatever reason maybe they are getting stuff at home, that kind of thing,” he said. We are targeting those kids. We believe they could go either way… We are not trying to make little cops out of them we are just trying to make good citizens out of these kids.”
He also is hopeful that programs such as this can help improve police relations in the community that these kids will remember going through the Junior Police Academy and tell their friends about the experience and hope that the kids can see the officers as encouragement to them.
“Somewhere down the line, whether it’s when they go back to school or are walking somewhere and they see the police stopped somewhere and one of their friends say ‘those cops are all crooked, they are all idiots I hate them,’ ” he said. “I hope these kids will say wait a minute I don’t know if I agree with you. I meet a lot of real nice officers, they are regular people just like us.”
Bonchak hopes that if the kids only walk away from the program with one thing that it would be that they learn to take personal responsibility for their actions and that they realize they are responsible for their own choices and that they are the product of their choices.
“Be responsible. Be a good citizen, and do what it takes so there are no excuses,” he said. ”Find whatever motivates you to get up in the morning and make a difference. It’s a big world out there go and make it better.”