Teens get a glimpse into the world of law enforcement at RPD Junior Police Academy

Actually, it was five days in the life for the event that was structured like a summer camp, which was specifically designed for young people interested in learning about law enforcement.

The camp included multiple lectures and sessions used in the training of basic law enforcement disciplines. In addition, there were several fun-filled activities built into the program, including a trip to see the Winston-Salem Dash baseball team host the Greensboro Grasshoppers on July 31, followed by a cookout on graduation day.

Reidsville Police Department Program Coordinator, Lt. Sharra Carter, said the program continues to be a success each year, and it is something the officers enjoy just as much as the kids participating.

“It’s very important to build those relationships. We want them to have a basic understanding of law enforcement and put it in a different light. A lot of times they see us just as police officers working our jobs, but we want them to see that we are humans, too. We are normal like everyone else. We want them to have that experience and build that relationship so that maybe they will want to be a police officer one day,” Lt. Carter said.

Over the course of the week, 15 officers, with expertise in a variety of law enforcement roles, took time out of their busy schedules to help instruct the campers.

Some of the highlights of the week included physical fitness activities, a drug and alcohol awareness course, weapons safety training and much more. The campers also got a tour of the department and met Reidsville Chief of Police Ray Gibson.

Wednesday, July 31, in particular, was an action-packed day. To get things started, Reidsville K9 officer Tommy Boone and his yellow Labrador Retriever, Harley, demonstrated a mock drug-search scenario conducted between two vehicles. The pair circled each car and quickly picked up the scent and indicated to Boone where the drugs where hidden.

Following the K9 demonstration, RPD Firearms Instructor John Harris talked to students about the tenants of gun safety during a morning classroom session.

Harris, who will be a 34-year veteran this September, has virtually seen and done it all over the course of his career.

A former detective, S.W.A.T. team leader, D.A.R.E. teacher, B.L.E.T. instructor, in addition to a stint as a Fire Marshall, Harris said he had a lot of positive influences with law enforcement officers while growing up, and he believes this program continues to do the same thing for future generations. To this day, his time spent educating kids continues to pay dividends even with the ones that chose other professions.

“I saw first-hand, and even years later, how positive contact with law enforcement carries over. I still see kids I talked to when they were in the fifth grade as their D.A.R.E. officer. As a matter of fact, several of our current officers were in the program when I was their D.A.R.E. officer years ago,” he said.

Following the gun safety lecture, RPD Officers Will Long, Sgt. Kirk Wade and SRO Richard Gibbs conducted a series of simulated demonstrations depicting domestic dispute scenarios that police commonly face while working on patrol. The students learned the proper way to enter and sweep a house, secure the scene and detain anyone that posed a threat to the public or officers on the calls.

By the end of the training exercise, the teens learned a valuable lesson: as a police officer, always be prepared for the unexpected.

In what was one of the most highly-anticipated events of the day, the teens got to take some target practice on the shooting range using a bolt action .22, a 9 millimeter carbine and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

For 14-year-old camp participant Addie Boaz, it was her first time firing a weapon, and she said she was a little uneasy at first, but her instructors helped to ease her anxiety.

“I was nervous at first. I thought my aim was going to be off, but I did it and it was fun and I’d like to do it again,” said Boaz.

Boaz, a student at Freedom Academy, a private Christian School in Reidsville, wasn’t sure if she wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement, but regardless of what she decides to do after high school with her future, the camp was a great experience.

“I feel like it is more of a calling more than anything else,” she said.

The camp was founded in 1998 and has undergone different evolution’s over the years. It is typically an annual event, but despite missing a year or two due to COVID-19 and a few others, the program has always been a popular draw for Rockingham County teens.

“In my experience, we’ve never had a problem with finding students with interest in attending. We blasted it out, sent out posts on Facebook advertising the camp, and I had 12 responses in one day. So, the interest in law enforcement is there. Some of them are curious about law enforcement, and this is a good way to find out about what the job entails,” the lieutenant said.

Carter said, unfortunately, often times the news associated in regards to law enforcement and police officers is negative.

“I think it is critical because sometimes in the news media – you see different outlooks when it comes to law enforcement. Sometimes it puts police in a bad light because you see so many bad things out there, but this allows them to see that law enforcement is a good profession, and we are good people that want to do the right thing and we work to build relationships. Fortunately, we have great people in our community,” Carter said.

Participating as instructors in the 2024 program were Elisha Velazquez, President of Wives of the Blue Line – Marty Velazquez, Sgt. Kirk Wade, Cpl. Walter Joyce, Cpl. Chris Macey, SRO Richard Gibbs, SRO Will Long, SRO Estela Valdez, Officer Jay Harris, K9 Officer Tommy Boone, Major Adolfo Torres USMC Retired Reidsville High School, Jeff Fulton Reidsville High School, Pam Beveridge & Theresa Waddell CPR instructors and Lt. Sharra Carter.

Carter said the program would not be possible without the generous donations and support of 30 local businesses, restaurants, organizations, as well as individual donations.

For more information about the program, contact Lt. Sharra Carter at 336-347-2368 or email [email protected].