Orlando Police Department
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OPD: New Youth Initiatives Coming to Parramore…

The Orlando Police Department will be teaming with the Parramore Kidz Zone to introduce soccer to the youth of the Parramore Heritage area. Currently the Parramore Kidz Zone, or PKZ, has both football and basketball teams, but the worlds most popular sport is still a foreign concept. Members of both the Parramore Heritage Bike Unit, as well as the Downtown Dayshift Bike Unit, will partner to teach the sport this summer as a pilot program. Hopefully, if the project catches on, it will become a year-round endeavor. Lt. Bill Wood, Parramore Heritage Bike Unit Commander, wants the kids to learn the sport first before enrolling them into competitive matches. “It’s important they first develop some skills and learn the concept of the game before they start playing well-established teams,” Wood says.

Orlando’s first Teen Police Academy is currently on the drawing board and set to commence April 23rd. The 10-week course will offer 90-minute classes to disadvantaged youth from throughout the city and attempt to foster understanding between the police and those who often witness the unfortunate consequences of breaking the law. Students between the ages of 13 and 18 who reside or attend school within the city limits will be eligible to attend this free program. The academy will cover such diverse topics as uniform patrol, domestic violence, defensive tactics, drug enforcement, and police communications. Students will attend field trips to the police department’s crime lab, coroner’s office, and the Orange County jail. At the conclusion of the academy, the students will participate in a graduation ceremony and receive their diplomas from the Chief of Police.