Fort Lee Junior Police Academy Graduates 64 Cadets

Dozens of Fort Lee youth graduated Friday from the ’s annual Junior Police Academy in a ceremony at the .

The ceremony, attended by many parents and family members, represented the culmination of two weeks of grueling physical training, marching and classes in various aspects of law enforcement, from detective work to patrol work and much more, as the 64 soon-to-be seventh- and eighth-graders who completed the program entered the community center marching in near perfect formation.

Det. Jamie Cuevas of the Fort Lee Police Department has been running the academy for the past nine years.

“It’s a pretty tough program," Cuevas told parents. "But we don’t discourage; we encourage.”

Cuevas said the course helps instill the core values of courtesy, professionalism, respect, integrity and dedication that he believes begin at home.

“We reinforce it and make sure they don’t have any negative feelings towards police officers,” Cuevas said. “At least they have a better understanding of what it is we have to go through and endure.”

He added, “It was a pleasure dealing with all of them.”

“Yes, I yelled; we all yelled,” Cuevas said. “But it wasn’t yelling to discourage them.”

Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli said the aim of the Junior Police Academy is not necessarily to train the next generation of police officers, although he certainly wouldn’t discourage that either, but rather to have the kids take something away from the course that can help them in high school, college “or maybe even the military.”

To parents, Ripoli said, “All these words that were said today—dedication, loyalty, respect—we realize that you have already taught the children, but we like to reinforce it.”

Ripoli also emphasized that the six members of the Fort Lee police force who, along with Cuevas, served as academy instructors this year—Det. Vincent Buda and police officers Deborah Siracuse, Thomas Keelen, Mike Bialoblocki, Christina Blue and Anthony Kim—were more than qualified “to teach your children.”

The kids were kept very busy from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day during the program, according to Cuevas.

In addition to the physical and classroom training, they took field trips to such places as the Fort Lee Courthouse, the local volunteer ambulance corps and firehouses, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, the Bergen County Courthouse, the Bergen County Police Academy and even The United States Military Academy at West Point.

“I wanted them to see what law enforcement takes from the military,” Cuevas said. “Words like courtesy, professionalism, respect, integrity and dedication—all these words mean something to the military too.”

Speaking with Patch after Friday’s ceremony, during which each graduate received a certificate and handshakes from Cuevas and Ripoli, Cuevas said he hopes that providing the kids with a better understanding of what police do might also encourage them to “make better decisions and choices in whatever it is that they do.”

“Whether it’s law enforcement or the corporate world or wherever it is that they plan on going, it will just give them a focus of what it is that’s expected from them such as courtesy and professionalism,” Cuevas said. “They all come into play, especially at an age where most kids—granted they have learned it—they just don’t utilize it and understand it as much.”

The ceremony Friday also included an audio slide show featuring some of the highlights of the program and was followed by refreshments for the kids and their families.

“Without you, this program would not be possible,” Cuevas told parents.

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