The St. Louis County Police Depart-ment’s South County Precinct will sponsor a Teen Academy beginning Monday, June 13, at the Mehlville Neighborhood Polic-ing Substation, 3229 Lemay Ferry Road.

The Teen Academy will consist of nine sessions in which teens will participate in very realistic role plays, taking on the role of the police officer, according to a department news release.

Each teen will become a member of a team or “platoon” and be equipped with gear that police officers use on a daily basis to do their jobs.

In addition, participants also will receive a T-shirt and an identification card, which are theirs to keep, to identify them with their platoon and the academy.

Chief of Police Jerry Lee stated in the release, “The success of the adult Citizen Police Academy along with the creation of the KYDS Council in the south county area has sparked a renewed interest in providing the benefits of both programs to the youth in the area. The participants in this program will have the opportunity to handle the calls, make the decisions, effect arrests, if necessary, and experience the emotional highs and lows that officers ex-perience on a daily basis.

“This Teen Academy could also serve as an introduction to the Law Enforcement Explorers program or spark a potential interest in a law enforcement career,” he added.

The Teen Academy will conclude at 6 p.m. Aug. 8 with a graduation ceremony.

For more information about the academy, call Police Officer Ann Geen at the South County Precinct at (314) 615-0162 .