Nearly three dozen youngsters learned about the law enforcement profession June 26-29 during the inaugural Youth Police Academy hosted by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.

“We’ve been trying to coordinate and plan something like this for a few years,” said Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing.

With the success of the event, it appears as if it will be an annual occurrence.

MCSD Sgt. Justin Biggs said the academy was “very successful” and the department received “positive feedback” from the cadets.

“We tried to cover as much as we could,” Biggs continued. “We could’ve gone five days. We’re already planning for next year with how things went this year.”

The 34 academy cadets, ages 10-15, were exposed to a variety of topics over four days – not just those involving enforcement. 

Biggs explained when the department was planning this academy, it wanted the program to be  “first-responder oriented,” covering not only police work but showing how law enforcement interacts with other emergency personnel.

In addition to learning about medical response with Monroe County EMS, the  Waterloo Fire Department visited the academy to show off equipment and the Columbia Fire Department gave a demonstration of its drone while explaining some of the drone’s practical applications.

“When there’s an emergency, there’s no question that everyone’s doing their job,” Biggs said, adding “Monroe County is very fortunate to have such great departments. The citizens should be proud.”

The cadets also visited  with members of the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency and toured the county’s 911 dispatch center before visiting with Monroe County probation and pre-trial service department personnel.

One of the “really cool”  moments, according to Biggs, was the opportunity to perform a mock trial with 24th Judicial Circuit Judge Chris Hitzemann and Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb.

After learning how the courts and law enforcement work together, cadets were assigned to roles as a judge, lawyers and jurors to conduct a trial.

Another aspect of the academy was safety, with presentations about internet safety, bicycle safety, home safety and the danger of drug abuse.

At the end of the first day, cadets received an object lesson about the dangers of texting and driving.

A severely damaged pickup truck was on a trailer in the MCSD parking lot.

Illinois State Trooper Rodger Goines told the story of 16-year-old Lacy Hood of Benton, who died  in 2015 only months after getting her driver’s license due to an accident caused by texting and driving.

Even though Hood was wearing a seatbelt, damage to the vehicle was more than anyone could have survived, Goines explained.

Hood’s parents bought the totalled truck from the insurance company and donated it to ISP to be used as a tool to teach the message that no text is worth a life.

Goines also used a rotating pickup truck bed to demonstrate the importance of wearing safety belts by showing what happens to a dummy in the driver’s seat while restrained and while not wearing a seat belt.

Cadets got plenty of exposure to the law enforcement side of things as well.

Dupo Police Department Sgt. Patrick Carrier gave the class a real-world perspective on the career when he spoke to the class about his experience being shot in the line of duty in February.

Biggs said students also learned about day-to-day enforcement and investigations, were able to tour the jail and speak with two inmates who were on “good behavior,” learned about safety tactics and DUI enforcement.

Cadets were treated to some special demonstrations by ISP, including a mock crime scene by its Crime Scene Investigation unit and a SWAT demonstration at Rogers Elementary School made possible through the cooperation of Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron.

It wasn’t all fun and games, though.

“We wanted it to be fun, but also for students to learn discipline,” Biggs said, noting every day began with physical training.

“That was really a confidence booster,” Biggs said, explaining that some cadets who didn’t believe they were capable of doing one push-up were able to do five in a row by the last day.

“That’s was our goal: Don’t ever accept ‘I can’t do something,’” Biggs said.

The cadets’ hard work was rewarded on day four, which Biggs described as a “fun day” to end on a positive note.

Cadets and MCSD personnel traveled to the Monroe County YMCA, where everyone participated in a “team-building” kickball game.

The group, joined by students of a YMCA summer camp, then watched as teams from ARCH Air Medical Services and St. Louis Metro Air performed medical helicopter maneuvers at a landing zone prepped by the Columbia Fire Department.

“The one guy said, ‘give me a parking spot and we’ll land in it,’” Biggs remarked, pointing out the skill of the pilots.

The group then grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, met with Gateway Grizzlies mascot Izzy, swam in the YMCA pool, and returned to the courthouse to join parents for a graduation ceremony.

Graduates received tickets to the June 30 Gateway Grizzlies baseball game as part of First Responders Appreciation Night.

In addition to providing exposure to local youth about the law enforcement field, Biggs and Rohlfing both said the academy was also about community involvement.

“If you don’t have support from the community, it’s tough” to be in law enforcement, Biggs said. “The bond with youth is something you have to have.”

Rohlfing said it was “definitely a great outreach,” adding it was “also good recruitment for the future.”

Rohlfing explained on the first day, only one cadet raised his hand when the group was asked if anyone was considering a career in law enforcement. 

“By the last day, it was about half the class,” Rohlfing said. “It’s important to invest in our youth,” especially in light of negative media coverage of the profession in recent years.

“We’re going to do it every year, and probably try to increase the numbers next year,” Rohlfing concluded.

Monroe County Commissioner Vicki Koerber thanked the MCSD for presenting a great program.

During the July 3 county board meeting, Koerber suggested the county look into establishing a scholarship for the academy to allow all eligible youth to attend regardless of their ability to pay.

For photos from the 2023 MCSD Youth Police Academy, visit the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page.