BOSTON (WHDH) - The Massachusetts State Police Academy for teenagers is no summer camp.
Trooper instructors said it is a different kind of fun: getting up at 5 a.m., making the bed, hitting the gym and lining up to run in formation.
There’s also learning how to drive a police car and for some teens who aren’t old enough to have a driver’s license, that’s pretty cool.
Then, it’s on to conquering fears and ultimately learning to rely on one another.
“Most teenagers who go to camp sit by campfires and they do archery and they swim and whatnot,” Trooper Peter Stanley said. “They come here, they experience a mini one-week police academy. We teach them respect, courtesy, responsibility for their actions, and teamwork, teamwork is huge.”
Part of teamwork involves trust.
The teens, who have never met before, are spending a week living together in dorms.
It doesn’t take long for them to figure out they need to work together to succeed.
The program is sponsored by the American Legion and is now in its 29th year.
Nearly 100 teens are participating this summer.
Jeffrey Simakausakas went through the academy when he was 17 and went on to become a State Trooper.
“It makes me feel great that there’s this many teenagers out there and they all seem like great kids who are interested in law enforcement despite the crazy world that we’re in right now,” he said.
It’s a world where teens believe they can make a difference.
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