MONMOUTH COUNTY – A total of 51 recruits graduated from the 29th annual Sheriff Youth Week Program, giving the community a look at the future of law enforcement.
The highly recognized program is not your ordinary summer camp. It provides high schoolers with a unique opportunity to explore interests in law enforcement through police academy-style training, exercise activities and instructional sessions.
The five-day camp began with Sheriff Shaun Golden telling recruits to bring energy, enthusiasm and excitement with them each day.
“We are so proud of the entire Sheriff Youth Week class for staying the course and commend all for completing this intensive week of law enforcement training. At the beginning of the week, I tell the recruits that they if they are engaged and excited about this program, it will be an experience of a lifetime.” Sheriff Golden said. “Sheriff Youth Week provides our youth to explore the realm of possibilities of a career in public safety. As a result, many will become future leaders in law enforcement.”
Recruits would begin each day with drills and end them with exercise. They took part in interactive sessions such as mock drills from the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team, MOCERT.
A major part of the camp was recruits spending half of the day at the Monmouth County Fire Academy where they learned what it takes to become a firefighter. This included a tour of the smoke house, learning how to handle a hose and climbing the ladder.
Another day was spent at the Situational Training and Response Simulator, STARS facility where recruits learned about the VirTra Simulator, a decision making and tactical firearms virtual threat simulator which is equipped with five large screens and shows real life scenarios.
Recruits watched several demonstrations such as K9s, Project Lifesaver, vehicle simulators, drones, dive team and motor vehicle stops. They also watched presentations on bullying, cyberbullying and the after effects, what you need to know about drugs, a bicycle patrol with an interactive police bicycle course, and an entire regimen of health and fitness including a 5K run.
“This is my first year as a recruit and the experience has been great. I’ve learned so much through the presentations, physical fitness and the interactive displays. I’ve been thinking about a career in law enforcement and Sheriff Youth Week was very inspiring,” said N’Seaya Barksdale, Neptune.
“This week has been very challenging, it’s a lot of work, but at the same time it’s been a lot of fun. I’ve made new friends and it’s an experience I wouldn’t want to miss, since I have aspirations to become a member of law enforcement or emergency services.” said Zachary Dubois, Hazlet.
“This is my second year participating in Sheriff Youth Week and it’s amazing, there is nothing like it. The instructors do a fantastic job, they challenge you and I’ve learned so much about all aspects of law enforcement,” said Molly Bennett, Spring Lake Heights.
At the conclusion of the week, the graduation ceremony was held and certificates were handed out by Sheriff Golden to each participant.
