DEARBORN — Last weekend, 32 local students graduated from the Dearborn Police Youth Academy, a program that has been organized by the Dearborn Police Department, Dearborn Public Schools and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of Michigan (ADC-MI) for three consecutive years now. 

The focus of the academy is to educate and train selected students from Dearborn’s high schools who have an interest in pursuing a career in law enforcement after high school. The students are selected by Dearborn high school administrators, based on scholastic, athletic, or community achievements, and their desire to pursue a career in the area of criminal justice. 

On Saturday, April 27 and Saturday, May 4, the students attended a six-hour seminar at the police department, located on Michigan Avenue, during which they were educated by police officers on the history of the City’s police force and its mission statement. They were also given training on life skills, critical thinking and conflict resolution techniques.

“The Youth Academy gives these students a tremendous opportunity to better themselves as citizens, by promoting civic duty and responsibility,” Dearborn Police Chief Ron Haddad said in a press release

Graduates of this year’s Dearborn Police Youth Academy pose outside of the Dearborn Police Department. PHOTO: Bill Chapman

At the end of their two day training, the students receive a certificate during a graduation ceremony held at the department. For the last two years, Congressman John Conyers has been the keynote speaker at the event. This year, he delivered a speech focused on strengthening community involvement, awareness and safety through civic engagement with police departments. 

The program has already proven to be a launching pad for some of these students. A handful of them who have graduated in the last two years have returned to serve as interns through another program run by the department called “The Henry Ford Community College Explorer’s Program,” which focuses on recruiting young potential law enforcers into the department.  

In the past, local leaders have addressed concerns over the lack of hiring of Arab Americans in Dearborn’s Police and Fire Departments. At one point, some attorneys, businessmen and civil rights groups even came together, under the umbrella of the Congress of Arab American Organizations of Michigan (CAAO), to discuss the possibility of launching an investigation into the City’s hiring practices. 

Haddad had addressed some of these concerns with The Arab American News in 2012, stating that the department was interested in hiring a more diverse force, but that a shortfall of individuals existed who could be qualified for such positions. 

ADC Regional Director Imad Hamad is hoping that the Youth Program will strengthen the relationship between the community and the police department and open doors for individuals who are interested in serving their community through law enforcement positions. 

“Despite all the debate about hiring tactics, we have to appreciate the police who work for our City. It is our duty as citizens to be more involved professionally with police and other entities. It’s encouraging to see students take notice of police work and consider such work an option for them in the future,” Hamad stated.

While a lack of Arab American presence within Dearborn’s Police Department seems to be a major concern, Hamad believes that the shortage carries over into other police departments as well.  He explains that this doesn’t solely come down to hiring practices. Hamad says that the community isn’t doing enough to prepare qualified candidates and push them to apply for these positions.

“I don’t think we have fair and adequate representation in any of the police departments, and it’s challenging for our community to find candidates who are qualified and available to apply. It’s also a challenge for the municipalities to open their doors and give equal access to everyone. This is definitely not a one-sided challenge.  It’s up to us to do our homework and move forward from there,” Hamad added.

The Police Youth Program seems to have gained plenty of momentum since its inception in 2010. In total, over 100 students have graduated and, each year, more parents and students are looking to get involved. ADC-MI plans to expand the program into other cities and hopes to get more police departments and public schools on board with the initiative.