Alamance County commissioners recognized 2025 graduates of the Junior Police Academy at the Aug. 18 meeting, and program organizers described the four‑week curriculum the county and local police departments use to teach middle‑school students teamwork, discipline and conflict‑management skills.

Chad Laws and Justin Jolley presented a group of graduates and photos from the academy. Laws told the board the countywide program—begun in 1996 and missed two years during the COVID‑19 pandemic—is a collaboration among the Burlington Police Department, Graham Police Department, Alamance County Sheriff’s Office and Mebane Police Department. He said this year 24 cadets completed the course and about 11 were present at the meeting; participants came from seven different middle schools across the county.

Laws said the academy emphasizes social skills, self‑discipline and community responsibility and includes physical training and mentoring after the program concludes. “We try to provide them with those skills to be productive members in our community,” he said. Several cadets spoke briefly to the commissioners and described lessons such as respect, self‑discipline, accountability and emotional management.

Commissioners presented small gifts to the cadets and invited program staff to return with a fuller overview and calendar for future involvement. County staff said a video of the academy is posted on the county YouTube channel and a fuller version will be available soon.