Irvine academy gives teens a peek at police work
Mateo Sanchez dusts a piece of evidence for fingerprints during a mock crime scene using CSI techniques during the Teen Community Police Academy put on by Irvine Police on Tuesday, August 11.
A group of teenagers got a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement this week as part of the Irvine Police Department’s first Teen Community Police Academy.
The department started the program this year to give local teens a chance to see another side of police work. Until now, they may have only seen officers rolling by in a patrol car, Irvine police spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.
“There aren’t a whole lot of ways for them to learn what police officers do,” Emami said.
Every morning this week, the couple of dozen teens learned about a different aspect of policing.
For instance, on Tuesday they got a tour of the department’s crime scene investigation lab and then had the chance to test what they had learned at a mock crime scene.
The program ends Friday, when the group will learn about K-9 officers and the SWAT team.
— Jeremiah Dobruck
Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck