West Bridgewater Police Department to Host Inaugural High School Cadet Police Academy

WEST BRIDGEWATER — Chief Timothy Nixon is pleased to share that the West Bridgewater Police Department is offering a Cadet Police Academy for Town high school students for the first time, and registration for the course is now open.

WHEN:

Classes will be held from 6 to 8:00 p.m., every Tuesday from Feb. 25 through April 15.

WHERE:

West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School Learning Commons, 155 West Center St., West Bridgewater

WHAT:

The free eight-week program, being offered for the first time this year, will consist of lectures and hands-on experiences to educate West Bridgewater high school students in grades 9 through 12 about the police department’s daily operations.

Students will also receive community service hours upon completion of the course.

Attendees will hear from various leaders in law enforcement and will learn about multiple aspects of policing within the West Bridgewater community. Topics include:

• Constitutional, criminal and motor vehicle law
• Court procedure
• Community policing procedures, including vehicle stops, use of force and defensive tactics
• Work within the Detective Unit of the West Bridgewater Police Department
• The W.E.B. Major Crimes and Drug Task Force
• West Bridgewater K-9 Unit and demonstrations
• West Bridgewater Police Motorcycle Unit
• Other specialized units within Massachusetts, including the SEMLEC SWAT Team

The program is being organized by School Resource Officer (SRO) Christopher Packard and assistant SRO Olivia Church. Officer Packard shared that while the West Bridgewater Police Department would love to get more students interested in potential careers in law enforcement, he believes that this course is great for anyone who would like to learn about community policing.

“As an SRO, I understand that there can be some wariness between high schoolers and police officers. I want to bridge that gap of trust by allowing students to ask questions and see operations for themselves,” Officer Packard said. “While there are multiple aspects of the course that serve as great hands-on primers for students interested in this career, I feel that everyone should take the opportunity to peek behind the curtain to see our department at work.”

Applications for West Bridgewater high school students to join the program can be found here. Sign-ups will close on Jan. 31.

Completed applications and liability waivers can be submitted via email to Officer Christopher Packard at cpackard@wbpd.com or can be delivered in person to the West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School’s main office.

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