Staff report
Previous coverage
* July 24: Breston bares bark, teeth on “suspct” for youth camp
* July 22: “Crime scene” at Hinson Lake
* June 16: JPA shows “police officers are human”
ROCKINGHAM — It was Jan’nice Conrad’s first case, but already she had her eye on a suspect in the simulated rest stop murder — and it was directed at Steve Odom.
Conrad, a cadet investigator in the Rockingham Police Department’s Junior Police Academy last summer, correctly identified Odom as the lead suspect through her thorough questioning. Odom, a Rockingham Police Department detective, and fellow Det. Shawn Paxton were lead instructors during the crime scene investigation investigation section of the week-long camp.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Cadet investigator Jan’nice Conrad, 13, of Rockingham, interviews a witness played by Det. S. Odom. Odom was, in fact, the culprit in the rest stop murder scenario – and Conrad and her fellow cadets didn’t let him get away during the 2014 Junior Police Academy.
This year’s event runs from June 22 through June 26. Due to limited space, the camp will accept the first 45 new applicants and fill the remaining spots with returning cadets.
The program targets middle school and high school students and is a police academy for young people. While graduates are not police officers, they are community leaders of tomorrow, instilled with an appreciation and respect for law enforcement officers and their role in society.
Candidates mu be between the ages of 11 and 17. Classes are held daily from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Lunch is provided.
Academy cadets learn about patrol techniques, traffic investigations, how to run trail or article search with K-9 officers, learn about case preparation, learn how to identify drugs and drug paraphernalia and learn about house entry procedures for SWAT.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Julius Weatherford, 12, of Hamlet (center), and John Sewell, 15, of Rockingham (right) interview Det. D. Morton, who played the role of store clerk in an armed robbery at a convenience store.
Weather permitting, cadets also visit with the Airport Raid Team and have lunch with the helicopter crew. Cadets also are scheduled to tour the 911 Telecommunications Center.
For more information, visit the Junior Police Academy section on the Rockingham Police Department website or call Det. Paxton at 910-895-2468.
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