The Wylie Police Department will once again host its Junior Police Academy this summer, offering local students a hands-on introduction to law enforcement through two weeklong sessions in July.

The program is open to Wylie ISD students entering eighth or ninth grade — those who have just completed seventh or eighth grade — and is designed for students interested in law enforcement or curious about the profession. Each session is limited to 24 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

This year’s sessions are scheduled for July 6–10 and July 20–24 and will be held during the district’s summer break.

The academy is organized and led by the department’s school resource officers, with additional instruction provided by officers specializing in various areas of policing. Throughout the week, cadets will gain insight into the training and expectations of a real police academy while participating in a structured, team-oriented environment.

Participants will take part in daily physical training, including boot camp-style workouts and an obstacle course designed to test endurance and teamwork. Activities include hurdle jumps, rope climbs, sandbag carries, tire flips, log carries and wall climbs.

In addition to physical challenges, cadets will engage in a range of law enforcement-related exercises and demonstrations. These include a K9 demonstration, mock crime scene investigation, fingerprint processing, SWAT demonstration, traffic stop scenarios, patrol tactics and active shooter response scenarios. Cadets will also receive CPR certification and participate in team-building exercises.

Other activities include driving a golf cart while wearing “Fatal Vision” goggles to simulate impaired driving, learning about juvenile law and presenting a law enforcement topic to their peers.

Organizers emphasize that cadets are expected to be punctual, participate in all activities and demonstrate respect for instructors and fellow participants.

The program is coordinated by school resource officers Preston Fredericks and Christopher McKiddy. Applications are available online, and interested participants may also request more information by emailing [email protected] or [email protected] .

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