Niles junior police academy gives ‘enthusiastic group' of middle schoolers a glimpse at policing

Chicago Tribune

29-07-2025

A group of middle school students graduated from the latest Niles Police Department Junior Police Academy, getting a close up look at the police station and operations, and participating in mock police work.
Caitlin Atkinson, a Niles Police Department school resource officer, told Pioneer Press the 11 participants ranged in age from 11 to 14 and were mostly students from local schools, including Clarence E. Culver, Emerson Middle and Gemini Middle schools.
'It went really well. We had a very enthusiastic group of kids,' said Atkinson, who ran the program with school resource officer Liam Ryan.
The academy ran for four hours in the morning from July 14 through July 16 at the Niles police station.
'The first day we did a tour of the station, showed them our lockup. They thought that was pretty cool,' said Atkinson, who took over running the academy from former school resource officer Kevin Regal when she joined the unit in December.
Day one also included a mock Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report, or POWER test, which Atkinson explained is what police applicants undergo during the hiring process.
'Basically, they had to run a couple of laps, do a couple of sit-ups, and sit and reach,' said Atkinson, who marks her seventh year with the police department in August.
Sergeant Chris Koch was a third academy instructor, previewing the mobile command unit and the technology officers are able to use on the first day, returning on the second day to have participants try impairment goggles and talk about the dangers of drunk driving.
Day two included a mock crime scene for participants to solve and a canine demonstration from Officer Jesse Bloomberg and his K-9 partner, Frank, an all-black German Shepherd.
'We did a mock traffic stop at the end,' said Atkinson about activities on the final day.
Day three also included police Chief Joseph Romano giving a speech and presenting certificates to the graduates during a ceremony, which also featured a slideshow of academy activities.
Atkinson estimated six parents attended the celebration, which included cheese, pepperoni and sausage pizzas and a vanilla cake that read, 'Congratulations Junior Police Academy Class of 2025.'
'When we asked the kids for feedback at the end of the three days, they said they wanted it to be longer, so next year maybe we'll add a day,' Atkinson said. 'There's a couple that want to come back next year.'
Many Junior Police Academy graduates go on to the Police Explorer program, which also is run by Atkinson and meets monthly.
Atkinson said the current 15 Police Explorer participants, who range in age from 14 to 19 and mostly attend Maine South or Maine East high schools in Park Ridge, assist with events such as the Fourth of July Parade and National Night Out. The latter will be held Aug. 5 at Golf Mill Park.
'They help out with active shooter training,' Atkinson said. 'They sometimes come to our festivals.'
Atkinson said two of this year's Junior Police Academy graduates planned to join the Police Explorer program, which is for high schoolers.
'The rest were too young. They'll have to wait a couple of years,' Atkinson said.
Other Niles Police Department opportunities for young people include working as a part-time community service officer, which requires applicants to be at least 17 years old and possess a high school diploma or equivalent, or doing an internship while attending college.
Atkinson said the Junior Police Academy helps participants, who must live in Niles or attend school in the village, to understand what officers do.
'They see what it's actually like. It makes them more comfortable talking to us, realizing we're also people and they can come to us if they need us,' Atkinson said.
According to Atkinson, the School Resource Officer Unit, which just welcomed Michael Dati as its third member, covers 12 educational institutions from preschool to high school, giving presentations, taking school incident reports and being a safety presence.