Crime & Safety

Middle School Students Look at Life on the Force

Students at Margaret Buerkle and Bernard Middle schools are participating in a Police Teen Academy.

Seventh and eighth graders are getting an inside look at St. Louis County’s finest in a new Police Teen Academy.

School Resources Officers Amy Willenbrock and Kelly Eller started the eight-week program at Margaret Buerkle and Bernard Middle schools.

The program meets for two hours a week and looks at the daily responsibilities of police officers. 

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The students simulate crime scene investigations, learn tactics and meet with the county’s specialized units, such as Metro Air Support and the K-9 Unit.

“The program is a fun way for students to see what we do as police officers, and it gets them excited about becoming police officers themselves,” Willenbrock said in a district release.

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Students submitted an application to their School Resource Officer and are selected based on academics and an interview. At the end of the program, the Police Teen Academy will host a graduation ceremony. 


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