Future police officers take part in teen academy
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — School may be out for the summer, but it's not stopping 100 local teenagers from spending two weeks learning what it takes to become a police officer.
The 10th annual Pikes Peak Regional Law Enforcement Teen Academy highlights the jobs of those who serve and protect the community. For students like Brooke Ankrun, the training is preparing her for life after high school.
'Growing up, I would always dress up as a cop for Halloween, and my mom's best friend was actually a cop, and I thought she was the coolest lady in town,' said Ankrun, a Junior at Palmer Ridge High School. 'I'm definitely going to go into the criminal justice field. As of right now, I don't know if it's going to be law enforcement, but it's definitely going to be working with crime, so maybe the federal level or maybe the courtroom.'
The Teen Academy, now in its 10th year, offers an exciting and educational experience for young adults to explore the inner workings of regional law enforcement agencies in El Paso County through day-long instruction and hands-on scenarios.
Participants gain exposure to a wide range of law enforcement functions, including Patrol Operations, Tactical Enforcement Unit/SWAT, K-9 Unit, Mounted Patrol, Explosives Unit, Criminal Investigations (Narcotics, Investigations, Crime Lab), drone operations, search and rescue, and crisis negotiation. The hands-on activities and realistic scenarios help bring the topics taught to life.
Cory Adkisson has been a School Resource Officer for the last six years. He tells FOX21 students who go through the academy act as another line of defense, should the unthinkable happen.
'It helps tremendously because all the teens who have gone through this academy just get it,' Adkisson explained. 'They have a lot bigger picture of what we're looking at and why it's important for us to know things ahead of time, and they will be more I think, more likely to come to us with information.'
As a School Resource Officer, he believes the academy is helping him connect to students.
'I still remember the first day Brooke came and talked to me and started expressing her interest in learning more about law enforcement and what we do,' said Adkisson. 'It's things like that, I mean, making that connection and being able to find some common ground where we get to just bond and grow together is huge.'
These two are inseparable, and now Brooke Ankrun is encouraging more young women to do what they are passionate about.
'I feel as though growing up there's been a bit of [stigma] around women going into law enforcement because there's, you know, it's like this girl against like a big bad guy and stuff and I feel like we need to shed more light that women can do it and they can be strong,' said Ankrun.
A $500 scholarship will be awarded each week to one academy attendee, and there is also the opportunity for all participating teens to earn college credit through Pikes Peak State College by participating in this teen academy.
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