BY LOGAN HURSTON FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — The Opelika Police Department has an exciting opportunity for teenagers looking to help their community. In 2022, the department began its 20 Under 20 student exploratory program, which teaches students ages 15 to 20 what it realistically takes to be a police officer or a firefighter.
The free program is held every spring, with eight 2-hour Monday evening classes. Participants learn about topics such as law enforcement code of ethics, police officer benefits, field agility and polygraph assessment, training and equipment, traffic stops and citations, call scenarios, SWAT, K9 and firefighter training.
“This program is a great way to get involved and build relationships,” said Allison Duke, OPD community relations administrator. “Students will learn from experienced law enforcement officers and firefighters and even get CPR certified through the course. They don’t have to want to go into a public safety career — this is for anyone who wants to learn more about how police and fire serve their communities.”
But, she said, anyone who does have an interest in a career in public safety can get a head start through this program. One of its recent graduates put their skills to work as an OPD dispatcher.
Student participants get the opportunity to have hands-on training with the police and fire professionals. They test their physical fitness on the PT course, participate in mock traffic stops, investigate a mock crime scene and experience the APEX virtual reality simulator, which allows students to respond to random situations as an officer.
Some of the APEX situations include stopping a drunk driver, making a domestic call and confronting an armed individual, among others. Students take what they’ve learned from the program to inform what they can do in the situation. The simulator gives high-stress situations that may force the students into split second decisions they would have to make as a police officer.
After completing the 20 Under 20 program, participants will receive a certificate from the Opelika City Council. The top reformers of the program will also receive a challenge coin from the command staff. This spring’s session got underway on Feb. 3 and will conclude March 27.
“I love to see how the students change over the eight weeks, whether it’s through friendships they make, leadership skills they learn or discovering a career they may not have thought of before,” said Duke. “It also is great to see the students ask questions and form a different opinion of first responders compared to what they might have felt previously.”
