Rising seventh and eighth graders participate in the recent Chelmsford Youth Police Academy
by Jen Oemig
CHELMSFORD – Over the summer, several middle school students had the opportunity to get some hands-on experience in law enforcement courtesy of the Chelmsford Police Department.
The Chelmsford Police Youth Academy is organized by the School Resource Officers and sponsored by the Chelmsford Police Athletic League (CPAL).
This year, two separate versions of the academy were held, one catered to students going into fifth and sixth grade and the other for those entering seventh and eighth grade.
During the weeklong academy, participants were able to take part in several informative sessions, as well as observe many demonstrations that offer insight into the law enforcement career.
School Resource Officer Dan Sullivan said both academies held this summer were amazing.
“We’ve had a lot of great participation every day from all of the students,” he said, noting how inquisitive the cadets have been. “They’ve asked questions that I’ve never been asked in my 20 years of law enforcement, so it’s nice to have a refresher sometimes and have to think outside the box or maybe in the mind of a 12- or 13-year-old.”
The academy is capped at 40 students to ensure there are enough instructors available to work with the cadets.
“As school resource officers, we’re really lucky to get to know the kids, but I like to see the other officers who are engaged with the community get to have a little bit more of an extended time with the kids to help them grow and bond,” Officer Sullivan said.
Some of the units that were showcased this summer include the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) Motorcycle Response Unit, Massachusetts National Guard, local K-9 units, Massachusetts State Police Air Wing and NEMLEC Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).
“We try to do the best we can to offer the crowd-pleasers,” Officer Sullivan said. “We’re pretty good about getting the input from the kids because that’s who it’s most important to.”
Each of the cadets has their favorite session, though most of them are partial to one very popular demonstration.
“I really like seeing the K-9s because I like dogs,” said Kaitlyn Kenney, a rising seventh grader who attended the academy last year and was thrilled to be able to do it again. “It’s really fun and you learn a lot of important things.”
Rising seventh grader Mason McCaffery said he highly recommends other students look into the program because it’s not only fun, but also informative.
“Each morning, we do personal training with Best Fitness and they work us to our limits,” he said. “And the officers teach us about police work and how they do things around Chelmsford.”
Ethan George, a rising seventh grader, said he has enjoyed getting to know more about law enforcement and what the career entails.
“I learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t already know about the police before,” he shared. “I wouldn’t say being a police officer is my dream job, but it’s kind of appealing to me.”
Overall, Ethan George said the experience has been very fulfilling.
“It’s great. It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “You learn about a lot of stuff that most people wouldn’t get to know.”
Josiah George, a rising seventh grader, also raved about his time in the academy.
“We’re learning about doing the job, what things they use,” he said. “It’s just super fun.”
As for the future of the Chelmsford Youth Police Academy, Officer Sullivan has high hopes.
“I can only see it getting bigger and better,” he said. “We have great support from the administration, police department, the school department and all the residents of Chelmsford. Everybody that I’ve talked to that’s attended – children and parents – can’t wait until next year to do it again.”
