By Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
Photos from Capt. Stephen Youngblood, and EAN
EighteenMillbrook Junior Police Academy graduates were recognized on Friday at Millbrook Middle School as the class of 2025-2. This week was the second camp hosted by the Millbrook Police Department. During the week, students learned about teamwork, physical training, and learned more about a police officer. The academy experience is always a fun experience for the cadets.
Captain Stephen Youngblood, SRO Corporal Kristen White, and SRO Matt Henson were the three in charge of the Millbrook Police Academy.
Throughout the week, the students engaged in many demonstrations of different areas of law enforcement. The students saw a live Taser and OC (Pepper Spray) demonstration. Taser volunteer was a Millbrook Middle School teacher, Jeremy Schultz. OC Spray volunteer was Millbrook Police Dispatcher Kierra Savage.
The cadets learned about crime scene investigation, SWAT, hostage negotiations, K-9 demonstrations, building clearing, self-defense, how to approach a vehicle, finding evidence while searching a vehicle, and much more.
During the ceremony, the cadets took an oath of promise, administered by Chief P.K. Johnson. The oath was simply to obey all laws, and assist their fellow citizens, and if you see something, say something. Mayor Al Kelley, and City Council President Michael Gay were in attendance.
“I want to thank Captain Youngblood, Lieutenant Henson, Corporal White, and the rest of the staff from Millbrook PD who put the efforts into this to get with your kids and get them to know the police department,” said Mayor Kelly.
He continued, “Just know that these are not the bad guys, these are the good guys. I want to thank you, young adults over there. You are not kids anymore; you are young adults. Thank you for spending the week with our guys, gals, and thank you for putting the effort in it as well.”
“This was the second week of the Junior Police academy. Class 2025-2 graduated 18 on Friday,” said Captain Stephen Youngblood.
He continued, “Lt. Henson did a wonderful job recruiting children for the Junior Academy. We had over 80 applicants. As with each year, we look forward to this program. Cpl. White, Lt. Henson, and I enjoy teaching the participants. It is fun and rewarding. We love hearing the stories from parents when they tell us that their children could not stop talking about the program. We see it as a great tool to foster positive relationships with our youth, so they understand that police are here to help. The Junior Police Academy is a week filled with exercise, valuable life lessons taught, and demonstrations. They get to see demonstrations like K9, SRT, Taser, and OC spray. They get to solve crime scenes, simulate driving drunk, search cars for “drugs,” and practice traffic stops.”
Millbrook Police Chief Johnson said, “ This fine group of young people gave up a week of their summer break to learn about the training that law enforcement officers are exposed to when we attend the Police Academy. Make no mistake, we are not targeting our community’s young people to become police officers in the future. This week was about building positive relationships with our community. What better place to start than with our community’s youth!”
Johnson said, “The goal was for each young person attending to see the men and women that serve their community as people, just like their mothers and fathers, but with different jobs, while learning and having a little fun. I want to thank Mayor Al Kelley and our Millbrook City Council for their continued leadership and support, which allows us to engage in community policing projects like this, as well as our Cops & Kids and Operation Blue Santa programs. I also want to thank the Elmore County Children’s Partnership ‘SOAR Program,’ Elmore County Board of Education, Millbrook Middle School, Millbrook Street Department and others who partnered with us to make this week possible.”
“In closing, last but certainly not least, I want to thank Captain Stephen Youngblood Jr., Lieutenant Matt Henson and Corporal Kristen White, who were our primary academy instructors this week and were assisted by a host of our officers and staff throughout the week. To all who worked to make this program a success, Thank You and Job Well Done!”
A special thank you to the following organizations and volunteers:
Elmore County Partnership for Children- SOAR Program
Millbrook Middle School
Central AL Police K9
Taser volunteers: Mr. Jeremy Schultz (teacher)
OC volunteer: Ms. Kierra Savage (Dispatcher)
Street Department
Pines Golf Course.
There were several officers within the Millbrook Police Department that helped make this program successful.
If you are interested in this program for Spring 2026, please check the Millbrook Middle School’s Facebook page in the Spring 2026 for dates on when to apply for the camp. The Millbrook Middle School Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FWTtbATAF/?mibextid=wwXIfr.
You can also contact the Millbrook Police Department for more information.
