The Oro Valley Police Department recruited teenagers from northwest-side schools for its Teen Police Academy.
Nearly 20 teens participated in the free three-day academy, which ended Wednesday.
"It gives the kids a great overview of what the police department does," Officer Jodi Brackett said.
Academy participants interacted with police personnel, toured the Oro Valley Police Department, watched K-9 unit and SWAT demonstrations, processed a mock crime scene, learned about different police divisions and were introduced to other functions of law enforcement.
"I didn't realize how everything worked until now," said 13-year-old Noah Hensley, who is entering the eighth grade at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. "I just thought they did office work or paperwork, but they're training and out there right now on the streets."
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Participants met Oro Valley's K-9 unit Monday at the police department, 11000 N. La Cañada Drive.
Officers Roger Reynolds and Mike Warren and their four-legged partners, Nikko and Emerson, demonstrated how the police dogs apprehend suspects.
The "suspect" in this case was wearing protective gear.
Police dogs chase and hold suspects, but their main function isn't to be attack dogs.
"The primary purpose of the K-9 is a locating tool. The use of force is secondary," said Reynolds, who handles 7-year-old Nikko.
Nikko, a German shepherd, and Emerson, an 18-month-old Belgian Malinois who joined the department in May, both work in patrol/narcotics.
The department also has a third police dog, a Belgian Malinois named Lara, who works with the Pima County Regional Bomb Squad.
The teenagers had a lot of questions for the K-9 unit.
They wanted to know about injuries the dogs might get, the type of training and care they receive, and how long they stay in service: "As long as they can work," Reynolds said.
Evan Hunt, 15, wanted to get a sense of the training officers receive to work in the field.
"My main interest is in the way officers defend themselves and how they handle situations with focus," said Hunt, who is homeschooled.
Hunt, a ninth-grader, learned officers receive rigorous training.
"They were talking to us about how they get pepper-sprayed in the face and then they do a drill to see how they react," he said.
Sonoran Science Academy student Molly Briles, 14, can see herself wearing a police uniform one day thanks to the academy.
"You get a peek behind the curtain and you get to see how interesting it could be to be out there doing it," the ninth-grader said.
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
