WHY? As in why are you hosting a Junior Police Academy?

Your answer is important as it will influence your answers to all the other questions. You are creating a road map, but let’s get specific about why you are going somewhere in the first place?

It calls to mind a statement recently shared with me by Sgt. Robert Goetz, whom I suspect might actually derive enjoyment from crafting a comprehensive plan.

When I asked him the secret to creating the perfect plan, he suggested that “logistics is simply the art of starting with the end in mind.”

Imagine your final destination for a moment. And again, be specific. The more detailed you are, the more accurate your map.

Ask what would be the best possible result of my hosting a JPA.

Think in terms of outcomes. Be optimistic. Imagine the final day of your academy. Who is there? Your cadets of course, but who else? Are the cadet’s parents there? Is the media?

Even if your academy has no culminating event, you should still consider what impact you hope for. What do the cadets, parents, members of the community know now that they did not know before? How have your cadet’s attitude towards policing changed or been enlightened?
For the purposes of this manual, let’s imagine:

Graduation day. All your cadets are lined up holding a graduation certificate. Their parents and family members fill the auditorium clapping in recognition of their achievement.

Students who previously knew little if anything about law enforcement now feel a proud connection to your department, your profession and to you.

Both cadets and parents have a new or better understanding of public safety and exemplify the kind of citizens who make for better, safer communities.

That is an ideal, but certainly not beyond the realm of possibility  – I have attended several JPA graduation ceremonies that met all the above criteria.

Once you have an ideal outcome in mind, you work backwards, approaching each of the remaining questions using a consistent framework or goal.