Teens to Get a Taste of Police Academy

Not many get to see the inside of a police department on their own terms. But, starting next week, the Wilton Police Department is offering that opportunity to town teens.

Police Chief Michael Lombardo announced that his department will be hosting a six-week "Teen Police Academy," similar to the Citizen Police Academy the department has run in the past, but geared toward a young audience.

"This is something that I've wanted to do for a while," Lombardo said at Monday night's Board of Selectmen meeting. "In my opinion it's very critical to the community...I was looking for other ways to get officers involved in the community but, more importantly, with the youth."

Lombardo said the thrust behind the program is to familiarize Wilton teens with the work the department does, since so often police officers are looked at in a negative light by younger adults.

"I want them to get the feel of where we work, I want them to feel that as well as see that," Lombardo said. "I want them to see that our officers are just normal people who go to an everyday job, too."

The program begins next Wednesday, Oct. 27, and runs for six weeks from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The department still has plenty of space available and is encouraging parents and teens, alike, to consider the course.

Lombardo said there is little to no cost involved in the initiative for his department, but that it could pay dividends both for the department and the residents involved. He said the meetings will be split between Trackside Teen Center and the police department.

"One of the things that we've heard for years in the police commission is that [teens feel like] the police are after them," said Police Commissioner Mark Ketley. "What they really want to do is make sure they're safe and that they're behaving themselves- this is a way to really educate [teens] and help them see that the officers are good people...we, as a commission, totally support it."