training. This includes running, doing push-ups and navigating
obstacle courses.
During the afternoon they participated in educational and
interactive activities. These activities included touring the
Lakehurst Naval Base, visiting Ortley Beach to learn about
beach patrol and high tides, completing a ropes course or sit-
ting in on a demo from the local fire department.
Slavin said that the best part of the camp was watching the
cadets grow throughout the week.
“Most of the time they come in afraid and unsure,” she con-
tinued. “On the first day, they might complain about the march-
ing we make them do, but the point is that they’re going to have
to do stuff later on in life that they don’t want to do.”
Beyond watching her students grow and even continuing to
watch them participate in the Toms River Explorers Program
for high school students, Slavin says the most important part
about all of this is building a relationship with the community.
“It’s really good to build community relations,” she added.
“They get to see us in a different light and not in uniform. It’s
also about seeing them grow and stepping outside of their com-
fort zone.”
West New York
As the culmination of its program, West New York Local 361
put on a carnival from July 13 to 18 to benefit its youth police
academy.
The program in West New York has been taking place for
three years, and seven groups of cadets have participated in
two-week programs. Similar to the Toms River program, par-
ticipants must apply to be considered, and there are 30 to 60
applicants per session.
Local 361 partnered with the New Jersey National Guard,
which allowed the participants to take field trips to military
bases like Fort Dix.
Officer Hilene Chemas explained that Local 361 members
surprised participants by taking them on a field trip to Dorney
Park. Chemas noted that she looks forward to seeing more stu-
dents who want to participate in the explorer’s program.
“They come in terrified and lacking the self-esteem,” she
added. “And [by the end], we have kids doing CrossFit and run-
ning marathons when they couldn’t even say their name at the
beginning of the academy.” d
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