The ‘Gamma’ Class of the Greer Police Department’s Citizen’s Youth Academy included, l to r: Andrea Cheeks, Mariazha Parks-Higgins, De’Asia Scott, Tomesha Snoddy-Edens, Kirsten McCollum, Zahkiyrah Booker, McKenyze Williams, Olivia Beason, Katie Styles (front), Elisabeth Fowler, Alexis Fowler, Shannai Volquez and Makayla Finch.Katie Styles, left, and Zahkiyrah Booker process a shoe print at the scene of a mock crime during YCPA camp.Elisabeth Fowler, left, and Makayla Finch process catalog evidence at the scene of a mock crime during YCPA camp.The YCPA 'Gamma' class processes evidence at the mock crime scene during camp.Alexis Fowler (right) and Andrea Cheeks dust a water bottle for fingerprints during a mock crime scene exercise during YCPA.

Youth Citizen’s Police Academy graduates 13

Julie Holcombe's picture
By: 
Julie Holcombe

For the past two weeks, 13 girls from Greer Middle and High schools completed ropes course obstacles, solved a (mock) crime and attended the South Carolina Police Academy (YCPA) — all while learning physical and behavioral discipline, pride and respect. Their dedication was rewarded Friday when they were presented as the “Gamma” Class of the Greer Police Department’s Youth Citizen’s Police Academy.

The second YCPA class of the summer following an all-boys course, the girls marched into the graduation ceremony with their own cadence: “Here we go again; Ready to begin; Marching down the avenue; I am ready how ‘bout you.”

“With everything going on in the world today, we wanted to provide a positive message to the youth. We wanted to reach out to the young citizens and future leaders of Greer to provide them with a chance to work with and build positive relationships within their community and the police department,” said school resource officer Ashley Wright, who led the program with SRO Joel Galli and Officer Shandrell Holcombe.

Special awards were presented for outstanding performance including De’Asia Scott and Alexis Fowler as class leaders, and Mariazha Parks-Higgins and Tomesha Snoddy-Edens as squad leaders. Fowler also received the academic award while Snoddy-Higgins and Katelyn Styles shared the physical fitness award. Elisabeth Fowler was named most improved. Scott and Kirsten McCollum both received the overall award for their physical and academic performance as well as leadership and encouragement skills.

Other members of the “Gamma” class include Olivia Beason, Zahkiyrah Booker, Andrea Cheeks, Makayla Finch, Shannai Volquez and McKenyze Williams.

“I’m really proud of myself. It took a lot and you really had to push for the physical activities,” said Elisabeth Fowler, who encouraged others to take the course. “You make friends and teamwork, and it’s just a fun experience.”

“I’ll probably mostly take away the discipline. They taught us a lot,” said Alexis Fowler.

The future
The program received donations from individual donors, local restaurants and hospitals. Adults from The Greer Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association, including Angie Childers, Dale Haule, Bart Canfield and Sylvia Jones, also assisted with the course.

Impressed by the success of the inaugural year and encouraged by the community and business support, Greer Police Chief Dan Reynolds said the department will continue to fund the program in the future.

“We kind of encourage the officers (to be) leaders without titles. Just because you’re not a ranking officer doesn’t mean you can’t come up with a good idea that we can implement or a strategy, so we encourage our officers to do that,” Reynolds said. “(The school resource officers) are very compassionate. They care about the kids. They want them to succeed.”

Officer Galli said the YCPA exceeded his expectations.

“We really came in here not knowing what to expect. (Officer Wright) and I having not done any of this…I’ll be honest I was terrified. We kind of knew what our vision was and at the end it turned out way better than we ever thought it would. We really made a stronger connection with the kids.”

The department is already receiving feedback from the first summer sessions. Many of the boys and girls graduates want to return to the academy again or help with future ones.

“Both groups were awesome to work with. Both were disciplined…We told them day one that it was about discipline and about doing things right when nobody is looking. They gave 100 percent,” Holcombe said. “My wish for them is that each one of them take what they learned and apply it to their personal lives. Whatever choice they make in life to what they’re going to do with their professions–lawyers, doctors, attorneys, policemen, firemen, construction workers, whatever they do–they take the discipline we taught them and apply it to that.”

The next Citizens Police Academy for individuals over 18 years of age will begin Sept. 17 and conclude Nov. 19. Applications can be found on the department’s website at cityofgreer.org. For more information on the academies or to donate to the ongoing volunteer programs, contact Lt. Jimmy Holcombe at 848-2156.

jholcombe@greercitizen.com | 877-2076

The Greer Citizen

317 Trade Street Greer, SC 29651

Phone: 1-864-877-2076

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