St. Charles police offering law enforcement club for high schoolers
Evidence collection, prosecution, crime lab analysis and scenario-based training are among the areas of law enforcement expected to be covered in a new St. Charles Unit District 303 club.
Once a month, starting in January, St. Charles police will host a group of high school students at the station in hopes of building relationships with teens in the community and getting them interested in a career in law enforcement, Chief James Keegan said.
The program will offer hands-on learning activities, discussions on current events and networking opportunities with guest speakers.
The law enforcement field has seen a decline in officer recruitment and retention in recent years - a trend that extends beyond St. Charles. But the city's well-attended citizen police academies have given department leaders hope that younger generations in the area are still curious, Keegan said.
"We thought we'd tap into the club aspect ... (as) another form of outreach to a younger target audience," he said. "We're just trying to offer some young men and women the chance to kind of see what we do behind the scenes."
Students involved in the club will be exposed to law enforcement at a "global level" so they can get a taste of various specialties within the field, Keegan said. Community service and volunteerism also will be incorporated into the lessons.
The program will be led by Bill Tynan, who serves as the St. Charles North High School resource officer. Other officers and police mentors also will be involved.
"There are many professional avenues within the field," Tynan said. "We want to give students the opportunity to explore the variety of occupations available."
The club is open to students from both St. Charles North and East high schools. They don't have to be St. Charles residents to participate, Keegan said.
The first hourlong meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the police station, 211 N. Riverside Ave. After that, the group will meet the third Tuesday of each month.