DANVILLE, Va. – A group of Danville-area kids will get to spend several days learning about law enforcement this summer. Registration is open for the department’s fourth annual Youth Police Academy.
The 12-day program kicks off June 13 and runs each day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s open to 25 kids between the ages of 10 and 17 who have an interest in police work.
Kids will learn many skills including crime scene analysis and defense tactics. The program also welcomes up to eight cadets from past years to come back and serve in leadership roles.
“The purpose of it is to build positive relationships, long-lasting relationships. They’ll know us on a personal basis,” said Danville Police’s Cpl. of Youth Engagement Sylvia Brooks. “With that being said, they’re less likely later on to commit a crime because they know and engaged with an officer.”
The last day includes dinner and a graduation ceremony. The academy will be held in the new police department building, which is under construction at the former Dan River Mills site in Schoolfield.
To register, call Cpl. Brooks at 434-797-8898.