Officers teach teens at youth academy

BENTONVILLE — Alexandra Williams’ goal is to be an FBI agent. She spent the last two weeks learning about law enforcement from Bentonville police officers.

Alexandra, 14, was one of about a dozen teens who participated in the latest Bentonville Police Youth Academy. The academy was open to students entering the ninth grade through high school.

Alexandra, who will be a freshman at Bentonville High School, said she learned about police officers and gained more respect for them and the job they do.

“They are actually nice people,” she said. “People shouldn’t judge the book by the cover.”

She said Cpl. Chris Isbell, the school resource officer at Fulbright Junior High School, told her about the academy. Isbell inspired her to want a law enforcement career.

Alexandra and the other teens spent Friday morning watching a demonstration by the department’s SWAT team. One of the team members set off a flash bang.

The teens also got a chance to use battering rams to knock in doors.

Adam McInnis, police spokesman, said the first academy was held in 2014, and the department missed two years because of covid-19.

McInnis said the students learned about every area of the department. The goal of the academy is to build relationships while engaging with young people interested in law enforcement careers.

“We are engaging with the community,” McInnis said. “We are also exposing the students to law enforcement and giving them experiences that are helpful to them.”

The students spent time learning about laws and even traffic codes. They met with prosecutors.

They saw the department’s various police dogs, McInnis said. They also watched the bomb squad’s robot and learned how the team X-rays suspicious packages.

The police officers and students spent time Friday morning playing kickball in Memorial Park after the demonstration by the SWAT team.

A graduation was held Friday afternoon.

Boyd Gunderson, 14, who will be a freshman at West High School, said he wants to be a police officer and enjoyed his time in the youth academy.

“I thought it was a great time to learn about law enforcement, and it gives us a lot of unique experiences,” he said.

Boyd said the two most important lessons were the importance of community and teamwork. He and Alexandra want to take part in next year’s academy.

Isbell said he enjoyed working with the students.

“Being able to help assist with the youth academy is extremely rewarding,” Isbell said. “To see today’s youth have a positive interaction with police is much needed in today’s time.”