'A good, positive program'

Shelby Arndt’s older brother, Tim, previously attended The American Legion Department of Illinois Youth Police Program. So when Shelby, 15, headed off to the program in late June, did big brother have any advice for her?

“He just (said) ‘here you go, go have fun,’” said Shelby, who spent June 26-July 1 at the Illinois State Police (ISP) Academy in Springfield, Ill.

Arndt was one of more than 30 14- to 16-year-olds who attended this year’s Youth Police Program in Illinois. She attended the camp as preparation for what she hopes will be her next stop after high school.

“I want to go into the military, so this was kind of the first start,” said Arndt, who lives in Mansfield, Ill. “The first day was kind of stressful. After the week went on … it was kind of fun, a great time.”

The department’s Youth Police Program, which debuted in 1972, is designed to establish interpersonal relationships between law-enforcement officers and youth – as well as give those youth some insight into the discipline required for a career in law enforcement.

Cadets spent the week drilling with camp counselors comprised of officers from various state and local law-enforcement agencies. Team building exercises and physical fitness were daily activities, and the cadets were also given demonstrations on crime scene forensics and K9 units.

The week also featured an off-site trip to the Illinois National Guard Army Air Support Facility in Decatur, Ill., where the students saw a Black Hawk helicopter take off. There was a tour of the Illinois State Capitol, as well as a trip to the Illinois State Fairgrounds to hear from members of the ISP SWAT team.

And then there were activities to give the cadets a break from drilling and push-ups, like a fishing derby at the fairgrounds and a pizza party at Knights Action Park, which features a water slide, rides, a wave pool, miniature golf and other attractions.

Delmar Buske serves as the Legion coordinator for the program and has been involved with it for eight years. One of the founders of Illinois State Police Post 1922 after a 30-year career in the ISP, Buske is amazed by the transformation he sees in the cadets from the program’s start to finish.

“I see these kids as they come in on Sunday and see the difference in 95 percent of them when they leave on Friday,” said Buske, who serves as chairman of the Department of Illinois’ Safety, Law & Order Committee. “It’s a good, positive program.”

ISP Special Agent Jarran Riley, the program’s coordinator on the police side for the past three years, said after learning more about the Youth Police Program it was a “no brainer” to stay involved.

“(The American Legion is) all about the development of these kids,” said Riley, a Marine Corps veteran and member of Post 1922. “Our job is to identify what (the cadets’) limits are and push their limits to let them know that they have more. Normally by Friday, if we do our job, they come back and they always say they don’t want to leave … and they realize that they pushed themselves more than they ever could.”

The week ended with a graduation ceremony in front of the cadets’ family members. Sangamon County Sheriff Wes Barr, a member of American Legion Post 32 in Springfield, was the keynote speaker at the July 1 graduation ceremony.

“I enjoy being a member of The American Legion for a number of reasons,” Barr said. “One, obviously, is what they do for the veterans. But also, it’s because of community programs like this that reach out to the community and try to make it a better place.”