Cranford Police Department's Youth Academy Was a Rousing Success

CRANFORD, NJ – Last week, Cranford Police Department hosted their annual Youth Academy which provides middle-school participants with hands-on exposure to various aspects of law enforcement. The Youth Academy offered 40 local Cranford cadets the unique opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement and gain valuable life skills along the way.

“Our goal is to give these kids a real sense of what it means to be a police officer,” said Detective Ali Muhammad, organizer of this year’s academy. The program aims to foster positive relationships between police officers and young Cranford community residents while educating them about the realities of police work.

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To that end, cadets engaged in a variety of activities throughout the week, including physical fitness training; crime scene investigation; motor vehicle stop procedures; K-9 unit demonstrations; emergency vehicle operations; SWAT and Bomb Squad; breaching procedures; and taser training. Highlights of the week included the New Jersey State Police’s helicopter presentation and a visit from the U.S. Secret Service.

The program also covered important topics such as drug awareness, internet safety, and bullying prevention given by CPD’s Juvenile Detectives and Investigation Bureau.

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