Post by admin on Jul 29, 2009 6:11:21 GMT -5
www.app.com/article/20090728/NEWS/907280343/1285/LOCAL09/Kids+learning+law+lessons+at+police+academy
Kids learning law lessons at police academy
By Kim Predham • FREEHOLD BUREAU • July 28, 2009
FREEHOLD — Three unsmiling officers circled the group of teens and preteens, barking questions as the kids stood stiffly at attention.
Suddenly, the children dropped to the ground.
"One! Two! One! Two!" they shouted in unison as they rose up and down in push-ups. Above them, Freehold officers Ronnie Steppat Jr., Duane Stasse and Keith Bailey watched their every move.
At the officers' orders, the children churned their way through a rapid-fire regimen of sit-ups, sprints, leg lifts and jumping jacks. Breathing became more labored; a faint blush rose on several cheeks.
"We should not have to punish you for stupid mistakes. Heads in the game!" Bailey shouted as he roamed around the students.
What was the stupid mistake? Someone — no one named names — had failed to clear away their water bottle and trash after lunch.
"They're not going to just leave water bottles around . . . It goes along the lines of discipline, responsibility for your actions. Policing the area," said Stasse.
Twenty-three children between the ages of 12 and 16 are getting a taste of life as a police recruit during the Freehold Police Department's second annual Youth Police Academy. The program began July 20 and ends Wednesday. A graduation ceremony will be held Friday.
"In the beginning, it was really hard," said Yenni Nieto-Ramirez, a friendly 15-year-old from Freehold.
The physical drills were especially daunting.
"It was kind of scary. They're screaming at you like your parents do," Nieto-Ramirez said last week.
But Nieto-Ramirez, who dreams of becoming a local police officer, was less nervous by Thursday afternoon.
By then, Nieto-Ramirez had practiced basic self-defense maneuvers, heard from representatives of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's and Sheriff's offices and watched a fake vehicle extrication.
Next, she would don a 40-pound Kevlar vest and helmet for a mock-raid of a Freehold Intermediate School classroom.
Students first split up into four teams. When their turn came, each team lined up, the shortest in front holding aloft a shield. They then burst into the room, fanning out to check corners and rounding up the "bad guys" — police staff sitting at tables or hidden in a storage room, behind a garbage bag and elsewhere.
(2 of 2)
"I just like protecting people. Cops — they've inspired me since I was little," Nieto-Ramirez said.
Freehold's police academy is the brainchild of officer Bailey, who is actually very cheerful when he isn't playing drill sergeant.
Bailey, 39, has served on the Freehold force 19 years. He came up with the idea for the police academy after seeing similar programs run by the Holmdel police and by Monmouth County.
"We were looking for some way to relate to the community," said Bailey.
The goal of the program is to show students interested in law enforcement careers how they can reach their goal and what their options are. For participants not planning a career in law enforcement, said Bailey, "I hope they can see where we (police officers) are coming from."
The program is free for participants. It was partially paid for through $5,000 from the borough and another $5,000 from federal stimulus money. The money bought bright yellow T-shirts and blue caps for the students, daily lunches and equipment. It also covered the officers' overtime, Bailey said.
"It's a great class," said Bailey.
For the past week, Bailey said officers have tried to instill the spirit of teamwork in students. The kids took a few days to start thinking like a team, but by last Thursday Bailey had seen a radical transformation.
"You could see they were 23 individuals (last Monday). . . . Now, we have 23 people making one unit," said Bailey.
Kim Predham: 732-308-7752 or kpredham@app.co
Kids learning law lessons at police academy
By Kim Predham • FREEHOLD BUREAU • July 28, 2009
FREEHOLD — Three unsmiling officers circled the group of teens and preteens, barking questions as the kids stood stiffly at attention.
Suddenly, the children dropped to the ground.
"One! Two! One! Two!" they shouted in unison as they rose up and down in push-ups. Above them, Freehold officers Ronnie Steppat Jr., Duane Stasse and Keith Bailey watched their every move.
At the officers' orders, the children churned their way through a rapid-fire regimen of sit-ups, sprints, leg lifts and jumping jacks. Breathing became more labored; a faint blush rose on several cheeks.
"We should not have to punish you for stupid mistakes. Heads in the game!" Bailey shouted as he roamed around the students.
What was the stupid mistake? Someone — no one named names — had failed to clear away their water bottle and trash after lunch.
"They're not going to just leave water bottles around . . . It goes along the lines of discipline, responsibility for your actions. Policing the area," said Stasse.
Twenty-three children between the ages of 12 and 16 are getting a taste of life as a police recruit during the Freehold Police Department's second annual Youth Police Academy. The program began July 20 and ends Wednesday. A graduation ceremony will be held Friday.
"In the beginning, it was really hard," said Yenni Nieto-Ramirez, a friendly 15-year-old from Freehold.
The physical drills were especially daunting.
"It was kind of scary. They're screaming at you like your parents do," Nieto-Ramirez said last week.
But Nieto-Ramirez, who dreams of becoming a local police officer, was less nervous by Thursday afternoon.
By then, Nieto-Ramirez had practiced basic self-defense maneuvers, heard from representatives of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's and Sheriff's offices and watched a fake vehicle extrication.
Next, she would don a 40-pound Kevlar vest and helmet for a mock-raid of a Freehold Intermediate School classroom.
Students first split up into four teams. When their turn came, each team lined up, the shortest in front holding aloft a shield. They then burst into the room, fanning out to check corners and rounding up the "bad guys" — police staff sitting at tables or hidden in a storage room, behind a garbage bag and elsewhere.
(2 of 2)
"I just like protecting people. Cops — they've inspired me since I was little," Nieto-Ramirez said.
Freehold's police academy is the brainchild of officer Bailey, who is actually very cheerful when he isn't playing drill sergeant.
Bailey, 39, has served on the Freehold force 19 years. He came up with the idea for the police academy after seeing similar programs run by the Holmdel police and by Monmouth County.
"We were looking for some way to relate to the community," said Bailey.
The goal of the program is to show students interested in law enforcement careers how they can reach their goal and what their options are. For participants not planning a career in law enforcement, said Bailey, "I hope they can see where we (police officers) are coming from."
The program is free for participants. It was partially paid for through $5,000 from the borough and another $5,000 from federal stimulus money. The money bought bright yellow T-shirts and blue caps for the students, daily lunches and equipment. It also covered the officers' overtime, Bailey said.
"It's a great class," said Bailey.
For the past week, Bailey said officers have tried to instill the spirit of teamwork in students. The kids took a few days to start thinking like a team, but by last Thursday Bailey had seen a radical transformation.
"You could see they were 23 individuals (last Monday). . . . Now, we have 23 people making one unit," said Bailey.
Kim Predham: 732-308-7752 or kpredham@app.co