According to Keith Shehee, the School Resource Officer at
Samson Elementary, the inaugural Junior Police Academy was a resounding
success. The program ran for a week and was attended by students in grades 3 to
6 who thoroughly enjoyed it and even wanted it to continue for another week.
Officer Shehee was joined by three volunteers, namely his
wife Becky, Chad Carter, and Dawson Carter. His wife provided support
throughout the entire duration of the academy, while Chad and Dawson joined on
the first day.
The primary objective of the academy was not to train the
students as police officers, but rather to familiarize them with the daily
tasks and responsibilities of law enforcement officers. Although 26 students
initially signed up, only 19 were able to attend the first day, and this number
remained constant throughout the entire week. The sessions took place from 8:00
AM to 1:00 PM.
Shehee expressed his gratitude for the donations received
from Walmart, which provided snacks for the participants. He also extended his
appreciation to First Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, Trinity Church
from Samson, and Chancellor Assembly of God for generously providing lunches
each day. Additionally, Shehee mentioned the kind contribution of T-shirts by
Hammer Construction, thanks to Sandy and Linda Hammer, which were a big
success.
The City of Samson also played a significant role in
supporting the academy by donating water bottles, as well as another special
item that has not yet been received due to a delay in the order.
“I will give that one out at the beginning of the upcoming
school year,” said Shehee.
The idea of hosting the academy was presented to Shehee by
former Chief Police Chris Miranda and Asst. Chief Cole Dean, and he
enthusiastically embraced it. After the plans were made, Shehee's primary goal
was to ensure that the academy was accessible to all, without any financial
burden on the parents or guardians.
“It was a learning process for the cadets as well as for me,
being this is the first time the City of Samson has hosted one,” said Shehee. “I
have been a School Resource Officer since 2020 when I got certified as an SRO
and I knew the kids needed a little something to do in the summertime that
would go with our Community Policing practice.”
“Without the donations and volunteers this would not have
been possible” Shehee continued. “The cadets were put through an obstacle
course every day and the goal were to improve a little each day.”
Throughout the program, the students had classroom sessions
where they learned about topics such as stranger danger, bicycle safety, and
other areas of concern. Mock traffic stops were conducted by former Samson
Officer Andrew Williams, along with the City of Samson's drug dog, Vivi, who
was accompanied by Officer Andy Tew, her handler, to demonstrate drug-detection
skills. Moreover, the students had the opportunity to explore a fire truck
brought in by the Samson Fire Department, learning about the responsibilities
of firefighters.
“I would like to thank new Police Chief Wesley Stokes and
Mayor Clay King for supporting me through it, without their support none of
this would have been possible,” Shehee acknowledged. “I would also like, most
important, to thank the citizens of the City of Samson for allowing their kids
to come and be a part of what I hope to be, many more academies to come their
trust in me to have this time with their kids means everything to me and I hope
to the kids.”
Officer Shehee acknowledges the overwhelming support from
parents and community members who expressed a desire to donate or contribute to
the future Junior Police Academy. Interested individuals can offer their
support by making a donation at the Samson City Hall.
“I hope to have enough funding through time that I can
continue to put on the academy,” Shehee said. “The kids are our future, and we
need to do everything we can now to help them become the best in life they can
be, and I believe this is just one tool that will help them to be just that,
the best in life.”
