Youth learns law enforcement

Nine youth in Hartsville spent a part of their summer learning about responsibility, teamwork and planning for the future through the Hartsville Police Department’s Youth Academy.

They took field trips to the prison farm, Hartsville Fire Department, K-9 unit, Coker College, the Cotton Museum, Pearl Fryar’s garden, the Francis Marion Planetarium, Sugarloaf Mountain, 40-Acre Rock, Lynches River State Park, the S.C. State Museum and Carowinds. They also participated in the Young Eagles flying experience. Each day they participated in physical training exercises.

They also participated in self-defense classes, saw a SWAT team demonstration, participated in a Don’t Drink and Drive experience and saw how the detective division of the Hartsville Police Department operates.

Begun in 1997, the Hartsville Police Department’s Police Youth academy was a response to increasing juvenile crime rates.

The department noted that while the city has many recreation opportunities for adults, activities for children and lower-income families are limited.

Add a lack of supervision to boredom, especially during the summer break, and children often find themselves under peer pressure to commit delinquent acts.

The Youth Academy, organized in a military boot-camp style, where “cadets” experience a combination of classroom lectures, hands-on interaction, field trips and physical training,
divided the classes into squads, which compete against each other as teams to accomplish goals and earn rewards.

Each cadet is required to keep a journal about his/her experiences and write about what they experienced each day.

Over the existence of the program it has evolved to fit the needs of children in the community. When the program first started, it was primarily a program for delinquent boys.

The program has now expanded to include a separate class for girls. Along with delinquent youth, the program includes those with poor socialization, authority issues, lack of self-confidence, or other traits, as identified by teachers, parents, and guidance counselors. Cadets enjoy the program, and many ask to attend a second year.

Cadet Avrin Smith, who was voted most improved during this year’s session, said he would like to attend again next year.

“I liked everything about it,” Smith said. “It started out hard but got easier. I would come back.”

Smith said the most difficult activities were those at the prison farm.

Malik McMillan, voted Best-All-Around by the instructors, said he, too, would like to try another year at the Youth Academy.

“I think it was better than sitting around and not being active.”

His favorite part of the camp was the trip to Carowinds. He didn’t like the prison farm.

He said they had to move bags of sand from one place to another, and if a person dropped a bag, they had to start all over. He said he didn’t drop one, but Smith said he did.
Instructors say the curriculum has evolved to include additional programs. In addition to drug abuse and decision-making classes, the program attempts to expand their horizons through exposure to outdoor activities, such as swimming, geocaching, canoeing, fishing, hiking and even flying, while they learn about themselves and the City of Hartsville. The cadets learn about local government, geology, ecology, economy, history and geography.

One program that the group participated in was the All-Star program with Rubicon. John Graham with Rubicon was at Friday’s graduation to praise the boys for their efforts and to give out two awards.