Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – For many kids, summer break means video games, pools, and sleep. But this year, the Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) is offering local students the chance to trade their controllers for a front-row seat with law enforcement.

The department is launching “NextGen Cadets,” a brand-new summer program designed for students who just finished kindergarten through eighth grade. The initiative aims to build positive relationships between law enforcement and the community’s youth through hands-on demonstrations, shared meals, and a little summer fun.

D.A.R.E. Officer Lynae Prater said the program’s inspiration came from the department’s existing civilian police academy.

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“I wanted to do something that incorporated the kids so that they could also learn a little bit more about the police department,” she said. “With them going through this program, with them meeting other officers, they’ll see we’re not scary, we’re friendly. We’re the good guys; we’re there to be there to help and everything like that.”

Throughout the program, students will get an up-close look at JPD’s daily operations. The cadets will interact directly with multiple specialized divisions, including SWAT, patrol, K9 officers, and dispatch.

Prater said because the program is open to a wide age range, the department has tailored the experience to keep everyone engaged. She noted that she is working to bring the county’s SWAT BearCat to the event and will have a motorcycle from the traffic division on site.

“A lot of times we like to have them sit in the vehicles, take pictures, they can try on vests,” she said. “They can ask questions, they can press the sirens, the lights, everything like that.”

To ensure the kids get a well-rounded summer experience, the department is pairing the law enforcement demonstrations with a provided lunch and time to swim, giving the cadets and the officers a chance to interact in a relaxed, casual environment. Cadets will also complete a fingerprint kit that parents can keep for their own safety records.

At the end of the day, Prater hopes the kids leave with one distinct message.

“We are their friends. We are there to help them. We’re there to serve them,” she said. “I want them to see police officers as their friends, as somebody that they can trust, and that they know that they can go to.”

The program is free. Registration is currently open and will remain open until the maximum capacity of 50 students per age group is reached. A waitlist will be available if spots fill.

• Dates: Kindergarten through 2nd grade, July 6; 3rd through 5th grade, July 13; 6th to 8th grade, July 20.
• Time: 8 a.m. to noon. Check-in starts at 7:30 a.m. Parents can start picking up between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
• Location: Parker Park Community Center

The department is also currently seeking volunteers to help guide groups of 10 cadets through the stations.

To register a student or express interest in volunteering, email dare@jonesboroar.gov.

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