There’s still time to sign up for the Winfield Police Department’s youth citizens police academy.
If you would like to enroll your child or teen, please fill out the online application at winfieldks.org/youthacademy. Applications are due soon. Thanks to financial support from the Cowley Affinity Project and Cowley College Criminal Justice, there is no charge to participate.
Many spots in the teen sessions are filling up but many spots remain for participants in the younger age session.
The Winfield Police Department is hosting a youth citizens police academy following the conclusion of the school year, set to run May 23-27. The department previously held a teen citizens police academy, with the most recent session being held in 2015.
The academy aims to provide positive interactions between officers and the youth of the community, while educating them about law enforcement.
The program is divided into two parts: One session for children ages 9 through 12, and the other for teens ages 13 through 17. The youth program is geared toward building a good foundation between participants and the police, with age-appropriate activities encouraging interaction between officers and the children. It will be held on May 23 from 9 a.m. to noon.
In the program for teens, participants will gain an understanding of law enforcement responsibilities through three days of hands-on activities. Teens will learn about police operations while providing valuable feedback to enhance officers’ relations with the young people in our community.
Sessions in the teen portion of the academy include traffic enforcement, crime scene investigation, S.W.A.T., drug investigations, DUI, TASER, and more. Classes for teens are held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 24-26, with a cookout wrapping up the program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 27.
If you have questions or would like more information on the youth citizens police academy, please contact Tyler Gaskill of the Winfield Police Department by email at tgaskill@winfieldks.org, by phone at (620)221-5545, or through the Winfield Police Department Facebook page at facebook.com/WinfieldPolice.