Junior Academy Gives Kids Glimpse into Life of a Cop

Local children are getting the chance this week to learn the ins and outs of law enforcement.

For the past four summers, the Scotch Plains Police Department has sponsored the Junior Academy, a week-long camp held at the Union County Police Academy that gives children a glimpse into the daily life of a cop. This year's program began on Monday.

Developed by Cpt. Steve Friedman, the program runs for nine days and has grown larger every year. This year, over 40 children are enrolled. Parents pay for the camp.

“Not only are we giving kids police training, this program also humanizes us to the children and lets them know that we are their friends,” Friedman said.

On Monday, the children spent time exploring the SWAT team truck and learning more about the role of the SWAT team.

The children in the camp are broken up into two groups throughout the week. One is a classroom setting where students learn about Internet safety, police terminology, and forensics. The instructors stage a mock murder and give the children different clues each day. By the end of the program, the kids can identify a suspect based on what they have learned.

The other group involves in depth, hands-on training, with demonstrations by SWAT teams and K-9 units. The Academy also takes the children to the Union County Forensics Lab and the NJ State Police Museum in West Trenton.

Most of the program’s instructors are Scotch Plains police officers. In addition to the education they receive in the police force, children are also taught about discipline and respect for others, said Officer Stan Pearson.

“We teach kids to be unified, take direction and work as a group,” he said.

Scotch Plains Police Chief Mahoney said he thinks the Junior Academy plays an important role in building the town’s future leaders. 

“Young people are the future of this community,” Mahoney said. “These kids are pretty much going through the same training that new cadets go through.”