Union City Teaching Kids All About Law Enforcement Work At the Junior Police Academy

This summer the Union City Police Department is holding two, separate sessions of the Junior Police Academy.  This week, the first session was for eleven to fourteen year olds.  Next week, the older teenagers will also get to learn all about police work and what is involved in the various aspects of law enforcement.  The cadets learned about United States Air Marshals and the Office of Homeland Security.  Everything from trafficking drugs through airports to money laundering.

Hudson TV stopped by the Jose Marti STEM Academy on Thursday morning as a Senior Parole Officer from New Jersey State Parole was explaining to the cadets what her job involves on a daily basis….the supervision of ex-offenders in the community.

During the course of this week’s Academy, the cadets have also learned about K-9 units; what kind of training the dogs go through in order to “sniff out” drugs.

Homicide detectives from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office spoke to the cadets about case work and the steps taken to investigate a murder.  The United States Drug Enforcement Agency is on the schedule, and the Union City Motorcycle Squad will give the cadets a demonstration.  There’s also a fingerprinting demonstration on tap.

Between 25 and 30 youngsters signed up for each of this year’s, Junior Police Academy sessions.

The Union City Police Department says getting kids familiar with the officers in their community is a huge benefit for them, and for the police.  Knowing each other provides comfort and security, especially if a child does not feel comfortable discussing a problem with a sibling or parent.  Knowing the police personally gives the kids another choice, another person they can talk to if they have a problem.