ZPD Teen Academy accepting applications, to begin June 3

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The 11th annual Zionsville Police Dept. Teen Academy, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Zionsville and Zionsville Parks Dept., is accepting applications from youth between the ages of 12-16. The academy begins June 3 and concludes June 7 with participants receiving certificates of completion.

The academy’s mission is to bridge the gap between law enforcement and teens. Participants learn about different facets of police work.

“We go through a vast majority of what we do as police officers and put it in the one week,” Sgt. Sam Dennemann said. “They’ll have different classes where they learn about crime scenes. We do drugs and alcohol awareness. The students will get a tour of the jail. There will be a K-9 demonstration. They will also get to do some team-building exercises.”

Participants will receive a uniform to wear for the week.

“It’s really a nice T-shirt, a pair of shorts, a hat to keep the sun out of their eyes and a water bottle so they can stay hydrated,” Dennemann said.

Participants to do not have to be Boone County residents.

“You can come from Indianapolis, Lebanon or anywhere,” Dennemann said. “One thing we want to make sure parents understand is this is not a scared-straight type of program. Our program is geared toward kids that are interested in law enforcement or what we do. It’s a fun program for them to learn more about us.”

Selected teens will serve as the color guard at the graduation ceremony.

“We have a series of competitions called ‘knockout drills,’” Dennemann said. “They will get in formation and follow a series of commands. The last five or six students left standing at the end of the course will be the color guard.”

The course is free but registration is required. For more, visit zionsville-in.gov/220/Teen-Academy.

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