HELENA – Several dozen students from across Montana are in Helena this week to learn what it takes to be a law enforcement officer.
The Junior Police Leadership Academy is a free week-long camp at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy.
On Tuesday, the students hit the track to learn about driving a police cruiser. They practiced the same drills officers do at low speeds and also learned how to be better, more confident drivers.
Patrick Malone, a patrol officer with the Missoula Police Department, said the camp doesn’t just teach students what law enforcement officers do.
“They mature a bunch, they learn a lot about what it means to respect people of authority, even their own classmates. It helped me realize, “Hey, I can have a real positive impact on somebody else,’” Malone said.
Students have to apply to attend and are selected based on a number of criteria, including writing an essay. The camp accepts between 30 and 40 teenagers.
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