Thank you to all of the participants in the 2024 Youth Public Safety Academy! We enjoyed another successful program, and look forward to hosting this academy again in 2025.

The City of Wilmington Police Department and Fire Department are organizing a Youth Public Safety Academy for children ages 13 through 17. The Youth Academy is a two-week program that will be held in the City of Wilmington from Monday to Friday, beginning on Monday, June 17 and concluding on Friday, June 28. The Academy will begin at 8:00 a.m. and dismiss at 2:00 p.m. This program is designed to build upon the relationship between our police officers and firefighters and the community they serve, while providing youth in Wilmington with a better understanding of the challenges and responsibility of public safety professionals.

Participants will attend a mock police and fire academy involving lectures, role-playing, teambuilding exercises, hands-on activities, presentations, and a field trip. In addition, there will also be a physical training component.

The Youth Public Safety Academy curriculum will include the following topics:

• Conflict resolution
• Fire safety
• Fingerprinting
• Crime scene investigation
• Arson investigation
• Drug awareness
• Traffic and criminal law
• Building searches
• Canine Unit operations
• First Aid
• Explosive/bomb investigations
• Physical agility training (push-ups, sit-ups, light calisthenics. etc.)
• Gang awareness
• Juvenile Justice System
• Report writing
• Internet safety

There is no cost to attend and breakfast and lunch will be provided to participants, but class size is limited. Anyone with questions about the program can contact Sgt. Brian McCanney at Brian.McCanney@cj.state.de.us or (302) 388-1470.