By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Youth academy shows what it takes to become a police officer

May 12, 2017 | 1:25 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Local high school students got an up close look at a unique career during the annual youth police academy.
 
Fourteen students, chosen by their school career counselors and Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) school resource officers, spent Friday (May 12) learning all about what it takes to work in the service’s many different units. 
 
They were walked through the powers of arrest, officer safety and use of force during the classroom components, and were then involved in identification, K9 unit, tactical team and explosive disposal unit demonstrations.
 
“There’s a lot of different units, and it’s a lot of fun even just watching,” Cara Smith, a grade 10 student from Chinook High School, said. “Like we got to go out and patrol traffic, and then we got to pull somebody over because they were speeding. We got to hand back their registration and everything, and just tell them to have a good day and to drive slower. It was a really fun experience.”
 
Smith added that she’s been interested in pursuing a career in policing since she was 10 years old, and was thrilled to be accepted into the police academy program.
 
But Cst. Kim Pierzchala, LPS school resource officer, explained that this is just the first portion to get them ready for the big test in Calgary.
 
The group will spend another full day at Heritage Park next week, where professional actors are brought in and the students are challenged to put their policing knowledge to work during a mock scenario.
 
“I have a great passion for the youth, and the the youth academy… It’s not easy and it takes a long process to become a police officer. So, if we get them thinking about it at an early age and decide, then they can advance with going to college in the criminal justice program… It just sets them up and they’re prepared to get into a career early in life,” Cst. Pierzchala added.
 
She went on to note that this is also used as a sort of recruitment tool for the LPS. Each student will undergo an assessment at the end of the program, and will be kept on file with recruitment services for future reference.