Junior Police Recruits Learn The Ropes

Bright and early at 9 a.m. sharp, all dressed in their uniforms, the group of 13 and 14-year olds recruits are ready to dive right into a full day of learning what it's like to be an officer of the law.

These recruits are little young to be police officers now but one day they may very well earn their badges.

Approximately 60 kids, all eighth graders who will be high school freshmen in the fall, signed up for the 13th annual Junior Police Academy presented by the . The program gives youngsters the opportunity to learn about what law enforcement work is really like and also dispel myths about police work which things like television shows may have created.

Through the teachings of Sgt. Joseph Rinke and Michael Stillman, middle school teacher, all this week the recruits are learning things like ballistics and firearms safety, how to conduct a motor vehicle stop, handcuffing and more. They will also visit a shooting range and tour the Bergen County Jail this week.

Chief Michael Colaneri says what makes their program unique is the police department teams up with the school to offer this program. One of the department’s police officers, Joseph Armelli, is a product of the Junior Police Academy. The chief said Armelli was a member of the department's first Junior Police Academy class.

The chief said it’s also great to see some of the older kids who have graduated the junior academy a few years ago come back to help out.

Colaneri gives the kids credit for getting up every morning on the first few days of summer break to be at the academy. In addition to the instruction they are receiving on police work, whether it be in classroom setting or via a demonstration, they are also taking part in team building exercises which teaches them how to work together and communicate.

Monday afternoon the recruits took part in what is called the “toxic popcorn” exercise where two must work together to maneuver a can of popcorn kernels into a pail without spilling. The exercise not only taught them how to work together but how to rely on each other for communication as the second stage requires them to maneuver the can while blindfolded, while getting direction from the others on what to do.

Tuesday morning the recruits learned the hows and whys of what police officers do when they conduct a motor vehicle stop. Sgt. Rinke explained every aspect of what is done from the moment the officer is about to exit his vehicle.

There are reasons why the police vehicle has its wheels turned out when it stops a car, or why an officer will not hover or lean into close to the driver’s side window of a vehicle pulled over, Rinke explained. Everything they do is about safety first. “I’m going home today,” Rinke said is what one has to keep in mind at all tmes.

The recruits got to play the role of the motorist or the officer as they acted out different scenarios that can happen at a motor vehicle stop. Rinke pointed out that an officer has to think through every possible thing that could go wrong and be ready for every scenario that could happen when stopping a motor vehicle.

The recruits learned how officers would handle a drunk driving scenario or domestic violence dispute among the driver and his passenger, when and how to call for backup, what details need to be given to headquarters and so on.

In preparation of their visit to the shooting range, Stillman gave the recruits a lesson in fire arms safety while also explaining the different types of firearms police officers use. The recruits will not be using firearms at the range, just airsoft guns, Stillman explained, which will give them some idea of what operating a gun is like.

The recruits got to get an up close look at the different caliber sizes of bullets, their casings. They even saw what ignited bullets looked like after they made impact.

At the end of the week the recruits will earn certificates for completing the program during a graduation ceremony at the high school Friday night.