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Wilmington Mayor John Carney, Chief of Police Wilfredo Campos and Chief of Fire John Looney today announced the opening of the application process for this summer’s Youth Public Safety Academy, which will be held from Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 27, with the support of JPMorgan Chase.

The 2025 Youth Public Safety Academy is a two-week program for young people between the ages of 13 and 17. The academy will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a FREE program which also includes breakfast and lunch for participants.

Class size is limited, so apply today by visiting WilmingtonDE.gov/YouthAcademy. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on May 16.
 
“This annual program offers young people in Wilmington a great opportunity to meet some of our first responders, and to see if a career in public safety might be for them,” said Mayor Carney. “I encourage our young residents to apply to be part of this free program.”
 
Building on the success of past WPD Youth Police Academies and Youth Public Safety Academies from the past two summers, this year’s program will again be a joint academy that will include members of the Wilmington Fire Department. The goal of the joint Youth Public Safety Academy is to strengthen relationships between our City’s public safety professionals and the people and communities they serve, while providing Wilmington’s young people with a better understanding of the challenges and responsibilities of the work of police officers and firefighters.
 
“We are excited to again offer this wonderful program for youth in our community, and to give them the chance to spend two weeks getting to know and learn from our first responders,” said Police Chief Campos. “This free, two-week academy offers young people opportunities to learn, engage and explore career possibilities in public safety and public service.”
 
“The Wilmington Fire Department is excited to once again partner with WPD for this summer’s Youth Public Safety Academy,” said Fire Chief Looney. “The academy is a wonderful way to provide young people to learn about careers in public safety, and provides teens with positive interactions with police officers and firefighters as role models and mentors.”
 
Participants will attend a mock police and fire academy involving role-playing, teambuilding exercises, hands-on activities, presentations, and field trips. In addition, there will also be a physical training component. The curriculum features a range of topics, including conflict resolution, fingerprinting, crime scene investigation, fire safety, drug awareness, traffic and criminal law, building searches, K9 Unit operations, explosive and bomb investigations, physical agility training (push-ups, sit-ups, light calisthenics), first aid, gang awareness, a discussion about the juvenile justice system, arson investigations, report writing and internet safety.
 
This year’s academy is being presented with assistance from JPMorgan Chase, which has for several years provided support for this initiative. Mayor Carney, Chief Campos and Chief Looney today thanked JPMorgan Chase for its continuing commitment to Wilmington and the residents and businesses of Delaware’s largest City.
 
“Our team at JPMorgan Chase is proud to continue our support of both the WPD and the WFD,” said Jeff Pilla, Wilmington Site Manager for JPMorgan Chase. “The Youth Public Safety Academy offers young people in our community with a hands-on opportunity to engage with first responders and learn about the important work they do, and we hope this experience might inspire some to pursue a career in public service.”
 
If you have questions about the youth police academy, please contact Sgt. Brian McCanney at
Brian.McCanney@cj.state.de.us or (302) 388-1470.