DPSST Youth Academy Gives Teens Hands-on Public Safety Experience

DPSST Youth Academy Gives Teens Hands-on Public Safety Experience

SALEM, Ore. — More than 40 teenagers received an introduction to public safety careers during a recent Youth Academy hosted by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). 

Young people ages 14 to 18 participated in the June 30 event, which featured multiple educational sessions that gave students interested in law enforcement and public safety the opportunity to learn from professionals in the field.

The Youth Academy took place at the Oregon Public Safety Academy, where DPSST provides basic training for the state’s public safety professionals. It included four hands-on learning sessions led by DPSST and Oregon State Police (OSP) staff.

In a Crime Scene Investigation module led by OSP’s Forensic Services Division, students learned to collect evidence, dust for fingerprints and swab for DNA samples. A K9 Tracking session saw students participating in an area search scenario with an OSP bloodhound, using tracking techniques to locate a simulated missing person.

A Mock Trial session included a simulated courtroom experience that highlighted the legal responsibilities of law enforcement officers, their role in the judicial process, and an overview of courtroom procedures and roles. Students also received hands-on training on the application of tourniquets and other tactical first-aid tools during a Tactical Medicine and First Aid course.

During a panel discussion and Q&A session with multiple public safety professionals, including a police chief, sheriff’s deputies, and a dispatcher, students gained insight into the career pathways open to them in the field.

They also had the chance to learn about specialty equipment from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, including a snowcat used in mountain search and rescue and a tactical armored vehicle deployed for SWAT operations.

For Ellison, a 17-year-old who is entering her senior year of high school, attending the Youth Academy provided valuable hands-on experience and insight into how she can achieve her goal of becoming a crime scene investigator.

“I knew generally to go to college and get a degree. But I didn’t know people did specialties and became field agents,” she said. “It was really helpful seeing a clear path into how to get into that field.”

Equally valuable, Ellison said, was having the chance to interact with public safety professionals to learn firsthand what it’s like to work in the field.

“Getting to actually talk to officers and hear about exactly how their job is done was really insightful,” she said. “I loved it.”

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About DPSST

The mission of the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) is to pursue excellence in training and accountability for public safety professionals.

DPSST certifies and licenses police, corrections, and parole and probation officers, as well as regulatory specialists, emergency telecommunicators and medical dispatchers, criminal justice instructors, private security providers, private investigators, fire service professionals, and polygraph examiners in the state of Oregon.  DPSST works with public and private safety agencies around the state to provide basic, leadership and specialized training at the 237-acre Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem and regionally throughout the state.