Upon completing the program, Junior  Police Academy Cadets are presented with a “Certificate  of Achievement”. But just what does a Junior Police  Academy education mean? What is the value of these materials? What distinguishes a JPA Cadet from other students?

Every instructor should answer these questions for themselves  before conducting a class. The answers are essential to successfully presenting the material in this Workbook.

Consider for a moment our definition of a graduating cadet:

• A graduating Cadet is not ready to patrol the street…but they do appreciate the commitment and dedication a law enforcer needs to face the streets each day.
  
• Proficiency with firearms is not part of a Cadet’s training…but they do understand the absolute necessity  of a police officer wearing a weapon.
  
• Cadets cannot cite case law with skill of a lawyer…but they do recognize the value of a precise penal code, applied justly and fairly to all.
  
• Cadets have not known stress and uncertainty of stopping a speeding motorist on a lonely highway at two o’clock in the morning…but they do understand why no-nonsense,  by-the-book traffic stops are not mere theatrics, but  a lawman’s protocol for staying alive.
  
• The Junior Police Academy Cadet – not licensed law enforcement officers, but lifelong defenders of a  noble profession.

These distinctions are at the core of this educational program -- not to simply teach young people law enforcement law  and procedure -- but to reveal the reasoning behind each law and procedure. Focusing on the "WHY", rather  than the "HOW" can move young people to a rich  understanding of a law enforcer’s role in society; to broaden their definition of a law enforcer to include  peacemaker and lifeline to those in peril.

JPA Advisory Council member Officer Mitchell Garcia of the Houston Police Department said it best: "Young people do not understand what police officers do and why they do it. They don't understand the role of law enforcement  in a community. But when we take the mystery out of law  enforcement procedures and policies – young people's  attitudes toward police and their role in society is transformed"

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