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Mayor John Carney, Chief of Police Wilfredo Campos, and Chief of Fire John Looney today celebrated the graduation of the 24 participants in the City’s Youth Public Safety Academy. A ceremony was held at the JPMorgan Chase Building and the participants were joined by family members and loved ones, in addition to members of the police and fire departments.

The academy, which took place over the past two weeks, is a program for young people between the ages of 13 and 17. Participants attended a mock police and fire academy that involved role-playing, team-building exercises, hands-on activities, presentations, and field trips, along with a physical fitness component.

“The Youth Public Safety Academy is a powerful example of what happens when we invest in our young people,” said Mayor John Carney. “These students have gained hands-on experience, learned about public service, and built relationships that will last a lifetime. I want to thank our police and fire departments for their leadership in creating pathways to opportunity and public service for Wilmington’s youth.”

“We are excited to mark the successful completion of another summer youth academy, and we congratulate each participant and thank them for being part of this program,” said Chief Campos. “This is one of our department’s favorite programs, and our police officers look forward to organizing this academy and getting to know the participants. This is also a great way to introduce young people to careers in public service, and I hope we see some of them apply to join our department in the future!”

“One of the primary missions of the Youth Public Safety Academy is to educate and empower youth by developing their interest in the fire, police and emergency medical service career fields. The last two weeks have been filled with many activities related to our noble professions to meet our mission,” said Chief Looney. “The collaboration between WFD and WPD personnel throughout the academy demonstrated shared core values – professionalism, dedication, perseverance, respectfulness, and service to others. We sincerely thank the Wilmington Police Department for allowing us the opportunity to join forces.”

The curriculum for this year’s academy featured 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 on the juvenile justice system, arson investigations, report writing, and internet safety.

This year’s academy was supported by a number of partners, including the Police Athletic League of Wilmington, which provided space for academy sessions. Additionally, City Council Members Coby Owens, Alex Hackett, James Spadola and Latisha Bracy and the team at ShopRite of Christina Crossing provided support for meals for each participant.

The program was presented with assistance from JPMorgan Chase, which continued its annual tradition of supporting the effort through outfitting participants with t-shirts, patches and hats, and providing other materials to make their experience memorable. JPMorgan Chase also hosted the academy’s graduation ceremony and provided lunch for graduates and their families and loved ones.

Mayor Carney, Chief Campos, and Chief Looney thanked JPMorgan Chase for its ongoing commitment to Wilmington and to the residents and businesses of Delaware’s largest city.

“It is great to celebrate yet another successful Youth Public Safety Academy, and JPMorgan Chase is proud to continue to support this initiative,” said Jeff Pilla, Wilmington Site Manager for JPMorgan Chase. “We are happy to hear about the meaningful experiences that the youth participants have had, and the relationships they have formed, with first responders in our community.”