Junior cadets in action at the WFPD’s annual Junior Police Academy

WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) – The Wichita Falls Police Department is hosting its annual Junior Police Academy, welcoming young citizens from the community to learn about law enforcement firsthand.

The academy is aimed at children aged 12 to 14 and offers a unique experience. Participants can take part in various activities that teach them about the role of law enforcement in society.

“Well, we try to get them to do literally everything. We have SWAT, a gang unit, detectives, crime scene investigators, we have a tracking dog with us, and they get to play with him as well,” said Officer Brian Arias. “The most fun part of the whole week is on Thursday; they get to actually go to Castaway Cove, put on their scuba gear and go underwater.”

Police officer cadet Enrique Hernandez said the most exciting thing he has learned so far has been doing his detective work.

“I’ve learned a lot, but right now I’m really enjoying investigating crime scenes. It’s really sparked a little bit of an interest in being a detective, investigating crime scenes,” Hernandez said. “But I’ve always wanted to go out there, get the call and go to the scene and see what happens.”

Arias talked about how important it is for the community to have such a program.

“It’s very important to us here in the community because these kids are at the age where they’re starting to learn things and expose themselves to a lot of things they see on social media,” Arias said. “We want them to understand that we as police officers have a career for them when they come of age, and we hope to see some of them in the near future. But if not, we want them to understand that the police are here, but also that we’re here to do our job and keep everyone safe in the process.”

The WFPD hopes this will inspire more young citizens to consider becoming police officers and making a positive contribution to their community.

For more information about the upcoming Jr. Academy, contact Junior Police Academy | WFPD NOW or call (940) 720-5019.