CLEVELAND, TENN. — A dozen local teenagers are getting a behind-the-scenes look into law enforcement.
Twice a month, the group meets with Cleveland police officers for the department’s recently launched Law Enforcement Exploring Program, which pairs officers with teens for hands-on experience and classroom training.
The year-long program will focus on all facets of law enforcement, with the goal of hopefully having the participants join the Cleveland force in a few years.
“This is not in any way a boot camp, this is not a reformation school or anything like that,” said Officer Evelyn West, a police department recruiter who assists with the program. “This is for kids who make good grades, who make good choices and who desire a career in law enforcement.”
The class recently met for the fourth time, and the 15- to 17-year-olds participating said since they’ve just gotten started, there’s still a lot to look forward to. So far, they’ve learned basic lessons on respect for the law, what it means to be an officer and how to handle a traffic accident.
As the program progresses, they will learn about SWAT, K-9 units, crime scene investigation and how to shoot a gun, Officer West said. They will also eventually go for a ride-along with an officer, she said.
“I’ve always wanted to be a police officer, my whole family’s police officers,” said Seth Snyder, 16, a sophomore at Cleveland High School who wants to one day be a detective. “I’m looking forward to learning about officer discretion, basically the thinking process of what an officer has to do.”
Officer Matt Bailey heads the program, and said he’s tried to format it so there is a theme for each month, giving the teens one classroom visit and one hands-on experience for every topic. He said the program teaches the students what officers must deal with on a daily basis and prepares them for how to do the job.
“We kind of educate them and try to make them look at things that they may not have looked at before,” Officer Bailey said.
The idea for Law Enforcement Exploring came about when the Boy Scouts of America approached the department expressing a need for such a program, Officer West said. That’s when several officers decided to use the lessons Officer West already taught at local high schools during “Criminal Justice Week” and expand upon them.
“This is a recruiting tool that we’re going to use,” Officer West said. “We are right now training chiefs and captains and lieutenants in 15 or 20 years.”
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
* The Law Enforcement Exploring Program began in March and will last until February. It’s planned for the same period next year.
* Participants meet at the Cleveland Police Department every second and fourth Thursday.
* Topics include crime scenes, firearms, SWAT, drug unit, K-9 and traffic investigation.
* It costs $10 per person this year, but could increase to $30 or $40 next year to cover the cost of T-shirts for teens who could help with security at some city events.
Source: Matt Bailey and Evelyn West.