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GULF SHORES, AL — The third edition of the Gulf Shores Police Youth Academy July 18-29 will include lots of hands-on training and a peek into how law enforcement works.

“It gives them the ability to see us in a different light, too and that’s always a good thing,” Chief Ed Delmore said. “They get a feel for what it’s about. It’s under the law enforcement umbrella, but there’s a lot about leadership and character and physical fitness and things like that.

“Many others who have been in it have gone on to careers in the military or in business or even medicine in some cases. There’s a wide variety things. It’s more about citizenship than it is purely about law enforcement although obviously there’s a law enforcement emphasis in it.”

Delmore said his own career was inspired when he attended a similar camp as a boy in his hometown of Fairview Heights, Illinois.

This year’s program will be led by Cpl. Josh Hoguet, the department’s Community Resource Officer.

“I’m very excited to interact with the kids to share what I’ve learned, my experiences and coaching them in police work and bringing it to kids who are interested in police careers,” Hoguet said. “We will be doing physical training workouts, we will have guest speakers and a broad range of learning as far as criminal justice and police work.

“We will be doing some trips like NAS Pensacola, the federal courthouse. We’re going to be involved with the community and we’re going down to do a beach cleanup which coincides with Leave Only Footprints behind program.”

In addition to conditioning, there will be regular leadership training as well.

“Each day we will do a team-building workout and exercise,” Hoguet said. “We’ll go do and do some beach stuff with the enforcement officers.”

Among the most popular parts of the program are live demos from a variety of officers from the department.

“There will be a SWAT demo, there will be a dive demo and K-9 demo will be the three big demos that we have,” Hoguet said. “This is going to be geared more toward policing. We’re going to have a firearms safety training class and a handcuffing class.”

Additionally students will also learn about crime prevention, CPR and first aid and firearm safety.

The $70 application fee covers lunches, beverages, field trips and a class T-shirt. The class is limited to 20. Applications are available at the police department or call 251-968-2532 call to get an application via email.

Delmore said this also a good activity to keep kids busy during the summer.

“Parents are always looking for positive things for kids to,” he said.