Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Dave Dechambeau demonstrates proper handcuff use to Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Youth Police Academy students Tuesday night at Northern Michigan University’s Jacobetti Center. Students learned more about defensive tactics used by law enforcement during this class, which was the third session of an eight-week course that meets each Tuesday night. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

MARQUETTE — The very first Marquette County Sheriff’s Office Youth Police Academy is now well underway, as the 25 middle and high school students enrolled in the course attended the third session of the academy Tuesday night at Northern Michigan University’s Jacobetti Center.

Sheriff Greg Zyburt started the youth academy this fall after being inspired by fellow sheriffs at the National Sheriffs Institute in Denver, he said, noting he hopes the program will inform youth about the criminal justice system and inspire them to pursue careers in the field.

“I had also gone through this type of program when I was 14 years old, through an explorer program in Livonia, Michigan. And for me, that set the path to my future of what I wanted to do so, it definitely planted the seed,” Zyburt said. “And that’s what we’re hoping to do here with some of these kids.”

The youth academy, which started Nov. 6, meets every Tuesday for eight weeks, with each two-hour session covering a different aspect of law enforcement and the criminal justice system, organizers said.

“The first week we had patrol tactics — stopping cars, how we make contact with the drivers, the things we say, what do we do, what do we look for and above all, safety,” Zyburt said.

During the second week’s session, the youth academy members had an opportunity to learn about central dispatch, special operations and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Zyburt said.

The third and most recent session covered defensive tactics that law enforcement officers use in the line of duty.

Sheriff’s office Deputy Dave Dechambeau, who has years of experience in teaching and using defensive tactics, led the course, as each session is taught by someone who has extensive experience with the subject, organizers said.

“I’m not just grabbing officers off the road patrol and throwing them in here and making the best of the situation. Deputy Dechambeau taught all of the jail deputies their defensive tactics; he specializes in this,” said Deputy Alex Gill, who serves as organizer and instructor for the course.

Dechambeau started off the class by laying basic ground rules for safety, then asked each student to introduce themselves and share why they wanted to join the academy.

Many students said they wanted to be in the academy to learn more about what it’s like to work in law enforcement, while others said they wanted to know how accurate portrayals of police were in movies and television. One student said they wanted to learn more about the operations of a sheriff’s department, as they were currently interning with a city police department.

After the introductions, Dechambeau told the students about defensive tactics, their appropriate use and, importantly, how to safely practice and apply defensive tactics.

The participants also got some hands-on experience, as they had the opportunity to practice basic tactics in a safe setting — the rooms used by NMU Police Academy students for defensive tactics training.

Caden Holm, a 16-year-old in the class who goes to Negaunee High School, said he enjoyed Tuesday’s session and had been looking forward to this particular class while participating in the academy.

He was surprised to learn that using handcuffs isn’t quite as simple as it looks in the movies, he said.

“There’s a whole process about it,” Holm said.

He was inspired to take the course because he wanted to know more about what local law enforcement does on a day-to-day basis, as opposed to what’s seen in movies and on television, he said.

Getting a better idea of what local law enforcement does in real life is an important aspect of the course for the students, Zyburt said.

“It allows them to see first-hand, real life versus TV or video games and see what we truly do,” Zyburt said.

Organizers and students alike look forward to the rest of the course, they said, as several more sessions are scheduled before the class graduates in mid-December.

Next week’s class will involve a mock trial with Judge Jennifer Mazzuchi and Marquette County Prosecutor Matt Wiese, allowing students to get an understanding of another aspect of criminal justice.

Students will also have the opportunity to act as a juror, defendant or another trial participant that day, Zyburt said.

Zyburt and Gill are grateful to NMU for the use of its facility and look forward to holding more youth academies in the future, they said, noting that they hope to hold one over the summer and potentially develop a citizens’ academy for adults as well.

“I think it’s so important that you know about your government and how it works,” Zyburt said.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248.