This year’s Roselle Park Police Department (RPPD) Youth Academy is scheduled for July 30th to August 3rd. The weeklong academy will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Roselle Park.
This will be the sixth season for this program which is designed to provide middle school age youths in the area with the opportunity to gain an understanding of the role of the police officer. The program is modeled after today’s police academy and offers a unique hands-on experience with the goal of educating students about the practices of modern policing.
Those accepted to the program will undergo physical training and daily training in drill and ceremony as well as instruction in criminal investigation technique, evidence recovery, patrol practices and the effects of drugs and alcohol.
In addition, cadets will participate in field trips to the Union County Police Academy and Essex County Correctional Facility. The cadets will also attend demonstrations from various specialized units that are available to law enforcement, such as police canine (K-9) unit, SWAT team, HazMat team, bomb squad and the state police aviation unit. The youth academy also offers the chance for the students to get to know and interact with the police officers who work in the borough.
Each cadet will receive official Roselle Park Youth Academy uniforms to wear throughout the week. Upon successful completion of the course, the cadets will participate in a graduation ceremony in which they will be presented with a certificate of completion.
Acceptance into the program requires that the applicant be entering the 7th, 8th or 9th grade; it is not limited to students of the Roselle Park Middle School.
All applications must be submitted by Friday, July 20th.
Instructors for the youth academy are Detective Sergeant Dominick Frino, Detective Joshua Medrano, Detective Richard Cocca, Patrolman Gregory Polakoski and Patrolman Brian Swick.
In order to be considered, the tuition fee of $20 must accompany the application which will cover transportation and uniforms.
Applications are available at RPPD headquarters at 110 East Westfield Avenue. Applications – along with anyone seeking more informaiton – can also be obtained by e-mailing Roselle Park Police Detective Joshua Medrano at jmedrano[@]roselleparkpd.org.