The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Teen Academy is in its fourth year. In July, 29 students from 18 local schools participated in the weeklong event, which is held in the training facility across from the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center in Colorado Springs.Students, age 14 to 17, learned what it’s like to be a sheriff’s deputy. They toured the jail and learned how to book a criminal. They participated in drills, including search and rescue. And they learned how to use radios and how to respond to calls.”Attendance is up significantly,” said Lt. Clif Northam, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office public information officer. Northam said some students are there because their parents insisted. But, he said, “Others are there because they want to participate in our cadet program and (they) possibly have a future career in law enforcement.”Two Sand Creek students attended this year’s academy. Nikka Bindejo, age 15, attended the academy because she wanted to be able to understand the “shop talk” between her dad, a detention specialist, and her grandfather, a retired police officer. Nikka said she hopes to stay in touch with the friends she’s made at the academy. She’s not sure about a career in law enforcement: “Probably not, but maybe,” she said.Trent Miller, a sophomore at Sand Creek High School, said he’s in it for the long haul. Trent said he would like to seek a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and maybe work with a mounted unit.
