U P D A T E J u l y 2 0 0 8

JPA Advisory Council Member

Mark Dillon Retires

JPA Advisory Councilmember, Officer Mark Dillonretired in a ceremony held onJune 4th at the CivicAuditorium in Hanford,California. The event wasattended by nearly 200members of the Hanfordcommunity for whom Markhad served with greatdistinction for over 30 years.Representatives of JPA’sNational Office, Phil LeConteand David Dierks, traveled toHanford to join in honoringDillon. In addition topresenting Dillon with anAward, LeConte alsopresented certificates of appreciation to two other members of theHPD, Officers DarenMatteson and JimAdams -- both haveserved on the JPACouncil since theprogram’sconception.Officer Dillon hadthis to say of hisexperience with theprogram: “The friendshipsthat are created during JPAare phenomenal. It was verycommon to be walking oncampus and have highschool students just come upto you and start talking. Tome, JPA is communityoriented policing at its finest.”We wish Mark and his wifegreat happiness and offer our thanks for his unique andcaring contributions to our program.

Ofﬁcers Mark Dillon, Daren Mattesonand Jim Adams with JPA Nationalrepresentative Phil LeConte

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J u n i o r P o l i c e A c a d e m y

SUMMER2008

RIPON, CALIFORNIA CAPTURES

THE SPIRIT OF JUNIOR POLICE ACADEMY

Chief of Police Richard A. Bull ofthe Ripon Police Department(California) knows the value ofcommunity policing. “We understandthat ourmost important resource isthe youthof our community,” statesChief Bull. “Therefore, we offerprograms such as D.A.R.E., SchoolResource Officer (SRO) Program,Junior Police Academy (JPA), YouthTraffic Safety Programs and theSchool R.O.P. Program.”Because the spirit of JPA camethrough so vitally in the photographshis department provided JPA

snational office of last year

s SummerCamp, our office chose to outfit 60 ofRipon

s 2008 cadets.The Ripon Police Department isoffering 2 Basic Junior PoliceAcademy Summer Camp sessions forkids ages 10-13 (5th-8th grade)beginning June 9th & June 16, 2008.Each session will last for 1 week.Applicants must carry a "C" averageand no former criminal activity withthe Ripon PD. Advanced JPA classbegins July 14th -July 25th for thoseinvited back from 2007 followingcompletion of the Basic Course.The Chief sums up JPA

s guidingprincipal when he says “OurCommunity-Oriented Policing andProblem Solving (COPPS) philosophyis truly practiced by the Ripon PoliceDepartment. We strongly believe inclose partnerships and workingrelationships to strengthen ourcommunity.”

ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE FROM RIPON, CA.

MESSAGE FROM AAPO PRESIDENT

DAVID FAIR

Upon completing the program,Junior Police AcademyCadets are presented with a“Certificate of Achievement”.But just what does a JuniorPolice Academy educationmean? What is the value ofthese materials? Whatdistinguishes a JPA Cadetfrom other students?Consider for a moment our definition of agraduating cadet:* A graduating Cadet is not ready to patrol thestreet…but they do appreciate the commitment anddedication a law enforcer needs to face the streetseach day.* Proficiency with firearms is not part of a Cadet

straining…but they do understand the absolutenecessity of a police officer wearing a weapon.* Cadets cannot cite case law with the skill of alawyer…but they do recognize the value of aprecise penal code, applied justly and fairly to all.* The Junior Police Academy Cadet – notlicensed law enforcement officers, but lifelongdefenders of a noble profession.These distinctions are at the core of this educationalprogram -- not to simply teach young people lawenforcement law and procedure -- but to reveal thereasoning behind each law and procedure.Focusing on the "WHY", rather than the "HOW" canmove young people to a rich understanding of a lawenforcer

s role in society; to broaden their definitionof a law enforcer to include peacemaker and lifelineto those in peril.

JUPITER,FLORIDA

SUMMER CAMP

We are pleased to acknowledge Florida’sJupiter Police Department will once again behosting its annual Junior Police Academy from June,16,2008 through June 27, 2008.JPA Summer Camps vary from community to community.Jupiter describes their program as follows: “Throughclassroom discussions, student activities and cadethandouts, the students will develop a deeper appreciationof law enforcement, while opening the door to better communication between officers and students. This is acomplimentary program for students ages 9 through 12.“The academy will cover all aspects of law enforcementtraining and provide practical applications through the useof simulators and scenarios. The program is designed tointroduce students to their local law enforcementpersonnel and provide a basic understanding of policework. Students will have the opportunity to learn about lawenforcement through a series of classes instructed byJupiter Police Officers.”The national JPA wishes the cadets in Jupiter the verybest of luck!