The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has many youth programs available to our residents, the newest being our Junior Police Academy. This program is for students in grades 3-8 who want to learn more about Law Enforcement. We will be hosting two sessions this summer, with more sessions added for next year.
Through the 5-day program, the student cadets will interact with our deputy sheriffs, meet our K9 teams, participate in character-building activities, push themselves with physical fitness, and explore the different facets of law enforcement through classroom learning and hands-on demonstrations.
As your Sheriff, I understand the importance of our youth being able to interact with our deputies positively. We never want anyone’s first interaction with the police to be something traumatizing or scary. This program has been on my list to implement since taking office. I want to allow our young residents to learn what we do as law enforcement officers directly from those in the field.
Our instructors will cover some real and important topics with the cadets, like online safety and good decision-making. The academy will allow them to ask questions, build their character, push their limits, but, most importantly, have fun.
We need to empower our youth to become active in their communities, have a voice, and start building new pathways. I aim to continue fostering positive relationships with our youth through different initiatives; this is just the beginning.
For more information or to contact my office please visit www.orangecountygov.com and click on the Sheriff’s Office links or contact us a OCNYSheriff@orangecountygov.com.
