25 high school students participate in Kent Police Teen Academy

Twenty-five Kent high school students participated in the three-day Kent Police Department Teen Academy.

According to a social media post from Kent Police, they learned about the department's various divisions, including detectives, traffic, special operations, SWAT and the civil disturbance unit. The academy took place June 25-27 at the Kent Police and Fire Training Center, 24523 116th Ave. SE.

The King County Sheriff's Office's Guardian One helicopter landed for a visit. The teens fired simulated rounds, participated in building clearing simulations, followed speeding cars with the lidar gun and took a physical agility test, which wasn't easy.

Parents and friends attended the graduation ceremony. Kent Mayor Dana Ralph and Police Chief Rafael Padilla presented certificates and thanked the teens for their participation. The academy was created for students interested in law enforcement or who simply wanted to learn more about being an officer.

Ralph asked what their favorite things were from the week, each raised hand shared different experiences.

“Our favorites were the ones that talked about building relationships with the officers who took the time to work with them and not only taught them about law enforcement but also cracked a few jokes along the way,” according to a statement from Kent Police.

The academy was open to sophomores, juniors and seniors in the 2024-2025 school year and 2024 graduates.