Post by admin on Aug 5, 2008 15:13:00 GMT -5
25 kids attend Youth Police academy conducted by the Freehold police
www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS01/808050392/1285/LOCAL09
FREEHOLD — Nadia Abdalla, Katherine Castro and Maria Vasquez are three giggly 12-year-olds from Freehold, but last week, they were marching in formation and following the orders of a drill instructor.
The girls were among the 25 students, ages 12 to 16, who participated in the borough's first Youth Police Academy, a program created by Patrolman Keith Bailey.
The girls completed the Gang Resistance Education and Training, or GREAT program in school this year, and they learned about the summer police academy for kids from their GREAT teacher, Patrolman Ronnie Steppat.
"We all looked it up on the Web site, and it sounded really fun," Katherine said.
"It was awesome," said Nadia.
"We never regretted being here," said Maria.
"It was hard, but after you look at it, you can tell it was worth it," said Nadia.
During six days of weekday instruction that began on July 25, students received lessons on traffic safety and crime scene investigation. They talked about SWAT teams, and they participated in physical training. They learned about the job requirements of a federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent and watched a State Police helicopter fly through the air, near the Park Avenue School complex.
The academy instruction ended Friday with a barbecue lunch at that school, and the students received graduation certificates during a ceremony Monday night.
Steppat and Patrolmen Sean Healey obtained a more than $25,000 GREAT grant to run the program.
"We tried to give them little tidbits of everything," said Steppat. "From myself, as a community relations officer, to a helicopter landing in a field."
On Friday morning, the students from Freehold, Freehold Township, Marlboro, Manalapan and Howell lined up to practice marching with a drill instructor.
Then they heard about the DEA from Special Agent Douglas Collier, who told the students they needed to make good decisions while in high school and college because those choices could affect their career paths later in life.
"They are the future leaders, and it's our responsibility to provide them with knowledge, education and basic life skills," he said.
For the students who were interested in becoming agents, he explained that report writing is critical in the DEA, so good writing skills are a job requirement, along with discipline and a four-year college degree. But just as important is a passion for helping people.
"The job that we do is not easy," he told them. "You want to help people. You want to be good citizens. You want to be good role models."
Ashley Goldenberg, 16, of Marlboro has always wanted to work in federal law enforcement, so after the DEA lecture, she quickly headed up to Collier to ask about the minimum hiring age and obtain a brochure about the job requirements for agents.
After the DEA lesson, the students went to a field behind the Park Avenue School complex, where Troopers Adam Wrede and Brian Harper landed a State Police helicopter, spoke about their jobs and answered aircraft questions.
"We try to stress the importance of education," said Wrede. "The more education, the better."
He said he and his partner continued their education as adults, when they received their pilot's licenses.
Luke Ganz, 13, of Freehold Township, wants to join the Air Force when he gets older, so the visit from the State Police pilots was one of the lessons he enjoyed.
"It was fun — how it was so small, but it went so fast," he said of the helicopter.
Another student, Yameenah Mayfield, 12, of Freehold, wants to become an undercover detective.
"I learned discipline, and I just learned a lot of stuff that I didn't know before," Yameenah said.
Tom Boylan, 14, of Freehold Township, said driving golf carts while wearing goggles that distort sight to simulate the vision of a drunk driver was the best part of the week.
But the students were not the only ones who had fun.
"I definitely got more from them than they did from us," said Patrol Sgt. Andrew A. DeMuth. "I was very surprised.
"In 18 years, this was the most enjoyable week I've ever had as a police officer," he said.
www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS01/808050392/1285/LOCAL09
FREEHOLD — Nadia Abdalla, Katherine Castro and Maria Vasquez are three giggly 12-year-olds from Freehold, but last week, they were marching in formation and following the orders of a drill instructor.
The girls were among the 25 students, ages 12 to 16, who participated in the borough's first Youth Police Academy, a program created by Patrolman Keith Bailey.
The girls completed the Gang Resistance Education and Training, or GREAT program in school this year, and they learned about the summer police academy for kids from their GREAT teacher, Patrolman Ronnie Steppat.
"We all looked it up on the Web site, and it sounded really fun," Katherine said.
"It was awesome," said Nadia.
"We never regretted being here," said Maria.
"It was hard, but after you look at it, you can tell it was worth it," said Nadia.
During six days of weekday instruction that began on July 25, students received lessons on traffic safety and crime scene investigation. They talked about SWAT teams, and they participated in physical training. They learned about the job requirements of a federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent and watched a State Police helicopter fly through the air, near the Park Avenue School complex.
The academy instruction ended Friday with a barbecue lunch at that school, and the students received graduation certificates during a ceremony Monday night.
Steppat and Patrolmen Sean Healey obtained a more than $25,000 GREAT grant to run the program.
"We tried to give them little tidbits of everything," said Steppat. "From myself, as a community relations officer, to a helicopter landing in a field."
On Friday morning, the students from Freehold, Freehold Township, Marlboro, Manalapan and Howell lined up to practice marching with a drill instructor.
Then they heard about the DEA from Special Agent Douglas Collier, who told the students they needed to make good decisions while in high school and college because those choices could affect their career paths later in life.
"They are the future leaders, and it's our responsibility to provide them with knowledge, education and basic life skills," he said.
For the students who were interested in becoming agents, he explained that report writing is critical in the DEA, so good writing skills are a job requirement, along with discipline and a four-year college degree. But just as important is a passion for helping people.
"The job that we do is not easy," he told them. "You want to help people. You want to be good citizens. You want to be good role models."
Ashley Goldenberg, 16, of Marlboro has always wanted to work in federal law enforcement, so after the DEA lecture, she quickly headed up to Collier to ask about the minimum hiring age and obtain a brochure about the job requirements for agents.
After the DEA lesson, the students went to a field behind the Park Avenue School complex, where Troopers Adam Wrede and Brian Harper landed a State Police helicopter, spoke about their jobs and answered aircraft questions.
"We try to stress the importance of education," said Wrede. "The more education, the better."
He said he and his partner continued their education as adults, when they received their pilot's licenses.
Luke Ganz, 13, of Freehold Township, wants to join the Air Force when he gets older, so the visit from the State Police pilots was one of the lessons he enjoyed.
"It was fun — how it was so small, but it went so fast," he said of the helicopter.
Another student, Yameenah Mayfield, 12, of Freehold, wants to become an undercover detective.
"I learned discipline, and I just learned a lot of stuff that I didn't know before," Yameenah said.
Tom Boylan, 14, of Freehold Township, said driving golf carts while wearing goggles that distort sight to simulate the vision of a drunk driver was the best part of the week.
But the students were not the only ones who had fun.
"I definitely got more from them than they did from us," said Patrol Sgt. Andrew A. DeMuth. "I was very surprised.
"In 18 years, this was the most enjoyable week I've ever had as a police officer," he said.