Junior Police Academy Brings Law Enforcement Closer to Community

Teenagers from across the valley gathered at Glacier High School last week for the second annual junior police academy sponsored Grizzly Security and Armored Express.

The weeklong course for kids 15 to 19 years old introduces them to the types of classes they would have if they were to attend a police academy. Officer Jason Parce has been with the department for over seven years and spearheaded efforts to create a junior police academy. Parce spent five years as resource officer at Glacier High.

“With all the things that are going on these days, it’s really great for the kids to see that officers are real people,” he said. “Some people have a negative perception of law enforcement so it’s good for the kids to see that we’re not all bad and that we have a really tough job to do.”

Parce said that the course is set up much like a real police academy, which can last up to 12 weeks. On the first day, students learned about ethics and stress management. On day two, they partook in a mock accident investigation. The next day they practiced traffic stops and then later spent time in a courtroom. On the fourth day of the academy, they learned about defense tactics and how to arrest people.

Among the students who signed up for the academy was 17-year-old Von-Cedric Graham. Graham’s father, David Graham, was a Montana Highway Patrolman who was killed in an automobile accident in Kalispell in 2007.

“My dad was a huge role model for me and I really want to make him proud,” Graham said. “Even though he is not with me anymore he is always pushing me to be a better person.”

Note: This story has been corrected to note that Grizzly Security and Armored Express is the primary sponsor.