Academy in Elgin geared toward teens' understanding of police work

Spending two weeks of summer vacation starting at 7:50 a.m. with running and calisthenics followed by five hours of police training might not be high on the priority list for most youths.

It's what 20 12- to 18-year-olds did this month at the first Teen Citizens Police Academy in Elgin, where they learned how and why police do what they do.

"I got to see what a cop does," said Angela Mascota, 15, of Elgin. " ... How they arrest people, handle using a gun, how they use their training in real-life situations."

Topics included traffic stops, negotiations, gangs, evidence collection, SWAT and drugs, along with hands-on activities such as handcuffing, fingerprinting and shooting simulations.

"It was all really interesting and fun," said Edward Carranza, 17, of Palatine, who wants to become a police officer. "I made a lot of new friends and we learned something new every day."

Carranza said he especially liked doing a mock search, armed with a paintball gun while looking for cardboard cutouts of people holding guns and knives and avoiding those with cellphones and soda cans.

Stephanie Alonso, 17, of Elgin, said she knew a good deal about law enforcement because she's a Police Explorer in Elgin. She really liked the first-person self-defense demonstration, she said.

The morning fitness routine was hard but inspiring, Alonso said. "I have never really worked out, and I hated it because it was so early," she said. "Now I kind of want to keep doing it on my own."

Officer Hector Gutierrez said he came up with the teen academy idea to better engage youths.

"They get exposed to what police officers deal with and what they have to do. It gives them the mindset that police officers make quick decisions in seconds."

The department has citizens academies for adults, seniors and Spanish speakers, but the teen academy had more hands-on, real-life components, such as marching in formation in the mornings, Gutierrez said.

Part of the goal was to counter some of the negative portrayals of law enforcement, Gutierrez said.

"With what they hear from their friends on or TV," he said, "I wanted to put a different perspective on it and maybe a different understanding of how things work."

It worked, Mascota said. "I am more open-minded about police now," she said.

Parent Meisha Thomas of South Elgin said she encouraged her 15-year-old son, Isaiah, to take part in the academy because he is interested in becoming a detective.

"I think it's great," she said. "It keeps them active and out of trouble, and it's good for them to see the police officers are here to serve and protect the community."

The department plans to offer the academy next summer Sgt. Eric Echevarria said.

"We're not trying to mold these kids to be police officers," he said. "What we are trying to do is show police officers are humans, and really trying to build these relationships and bridge the gap."