Youth Programs

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Citizens Academy for Youths

Turn off the TV and see a real cop show at the MPD's Citizens Academy for Youths. The next Youth Academy will be held weekly on Tuesday evenings from June 17 to July 15. The five-week class is free and open to youths ages 12 to 18 who reside in the police jurisdiction of Mobile.

The program is based on the popular Citizens Police Academy for adults. The Young Adults program will be shorter in length and will be focused on the areas that are most likely to interest youths. Most activities will take place at the MPD Training Academy, 1251 Virginia St. Classes meet once a week from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., except for special field trips as described below.

Participants will get a chance to see some of the real work of crime scene investigation. An actual crime scene will be created and participants will use the tools and equipment of the department to make sense of the crime scene. Class members will be set amid a tactical operations scenario and become familiarized with some of the equipment and tools used for specialized operations. Officers in the Bomb Squad and the Mounted Unit will demonstrate how they do their work. Patrol officers will give details of the unique challenges they face day-to-day.

Field trips will include a day set aside for firearms training at the new Metro Firearms Training Facility. Other trips may include a tour of Metro Jail, Communications, or a visit to the state prison at Atmore.

Anyone interested in applying for the program should call the Training Academy at 208-2730. To download an application, click here. Applications are accepted at anytime and classes will be filled on a first come-first serve basis. Class size is limited. Background checks will be required and no applicant with a felony conviction will be admitted to the program.

Explorers learn many of the skills of a police officer, including the safe handling and use of a gun as pictured here at a target range.
The Police Explorers Program of Boy Scouts of America is intended to introduce youths to a career in law enforcement, while at the same time building skills and developing traits that will serve them in any career path

More than 200 youths participate in the Mobile Police Explorers Post. They get a behind-the-scenes view of police work by accompanying officers on the job and are actually involved in minor police work, such as patrolling public events.

A Mobile Police Department Explorer learns to rappel down a building at the Gulfport Explorers Academy this summer.
The variety of activities and challenges are intended to build character and discipline. A shortened list of some of the skills they learn would include team building, public speaking, leadership, conflict resolution and problem-solving.

But socializing and recreational fun are also a part of the mix. Explorers have gone snow skiing and have met Blue Angels at their Pensacola show. They go to Jazzland in New Orleans and to camping trips in Arizona.

Yearly, the program offers youths the opportunity to attend the weeklong Gulfport Explorers Academy, where they can hone the skills it takes to be a police officer. They learn about crime scenes, narcotics enforcement, hostage negotiations, ethics and more. They practice weapons skills, rope rescue and self-defense. The challenges and rewards are equally intense and create an unforgettable sense of achievement.

Three units comprise the Police Explorers Post: the Headquarters Unit, meeting at police headquarters, 2460 Government Blvd.; the Orange Grove Unit, meeting at the Orange Grove Boys and Girls Club, 604 N. Lawrence St., and the new Trinity Gardens Unit that meets at the Dotch Community Center, 3100-A Bank Ave.

Interested persons may call 251-208-1924 for more information.

Kids Wishin to Go Fishin
Most adults would feel privileged to go on a fishing trip with some of the Gulf Coast's top fisherman. But that option is bestowed on only a few lucky youngsters through the Mobile Police Department's Kids Wishin to Go Fishin program.

About 30 children who deserve a break are chosen for a day of deep-sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. The Salvation Army and Volunteers of America choose the children for the program. Also sponsoring the program is Doug Houston of TV's Doug Houston Outdoors.