A Teen Academy, sponsored by the St. Louis County Police Department’s South County Precinct, will begin Tuesday, June 15.

The Teen Academy will consist of nine sessions in which the teens will participate in very realistic role plays, taking on the role of the police officer. Each teen will be on a team or “platoon” and equipped with gear that police use on a daily basis to do their jobs.

Teens also will receive T-shirts and identification cards, which will be theirs to keep, to identify them with their platoon and the academy.

In a news release, Chief of Police Ron Battelle explained, “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 academy will handle mock calls, such as a domestic violence incident, a loud party, a traffic stop, a traffic accident and an open door alarm, just to name a few.

“The teens will handle the calls, make the decisions, effect arrests if necessary and experience the emotional highs and lows that officers experience on a daily basis. They will hear from speakers about going ‘undercover’ for a long period of time, as well as the real-life ‘CSI.’ The teens also will be able to ride with an officer on patrol for a tour of duty,” he added.

The academy will be conducted from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Jefferson Barracks Park, beginning June 15 and concluding Aug. 10 with graduation.

For more information and an application, contact Officer Ann Geen at the South County Precinct, 3031 Telegraph Road, 615-0162. Applications will be accepted on a first-come basis. Those with criminal convictions will be excluded. Applicants will be restricted to those 15 to 19 years old.