Naperville students get hands-on education in a policing career

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (CBS) – Some Naperville teenagers signed up for a very different kind of summer program involving bloodhounds and tactical vehicles.

When the police tactical vehicle rolled out, supervisors weren't answering a call. Instead, they were taking questions.

Incoming high school junior Chase Tartaglione was there for the second summer in a row, joining other students as they learned the ins and outs of canine tracking with Naperville police dog Jill, a bloodhound who sometimes gets more attention than her own handler.

It's part of a six-week course that introduces high school students to the basics as they decide whether a future in law enforcement is right for them.

"It's one of my three paths that I am looking at," Tartaglione said.

Incoming sophomore Maggie Stables said she was really interested in forensic anthropology as a career.

"So I thought this would bring me closer to stuff like that," she said.

Incoming junior Ashlynn Goldstein said she's "been kind of all over the place with what I want to do in the future ... forensics is really interesting to me, and I was also interested in law, in general."

Organizers said they see the students' growth during the summer program.

"They walk in the first week, they're all very quiet," said Kevin Merrihew, a school resource officer with the Naperville Police Department. "And by now, they are working with each other. They've kinda made new friends and they ask a lot of great questions."

It's a summer session that could be just the beginning of a lifelong career.

Learning doesn't have to stop this summer. Students who want to continue can take a more advanced course that picks up for the school year.

The Naperville Police Department also holds a Citizens Police Academy for adults. The next session begins in October.