Youth Programs

Community Outreach Programs

Youth Programs

The Sheriff's Office conducts a variety of educational programs for local youth. For more information on any of the following programs, please contact the Community Outreach Unit at 201-336-3540.

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Individual Programs (available to all Bergen County residents)

Student Internships

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office offers a variety of internship opportunities to qualified high school and college students to give them real working experience in the field of law enforcement. Participating students work in a variety of settings in Bergen County’s largest law enforcement agency while enhancing his or her own individual talents and skills.

To be eligible for an internship with the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, applicants MUST:

Be a current resident of or attend school in Bergen County
Be enrolled in a high school or college internship program
Contact your high school or college internship coordinator to ensure that all school requirements will be met

**Prior to submitting an application, please call the Community Outreach Unit at 201-336-3540 to ensure we are accepting applications for the semester in which you are interested.**

Internship Application

Youth Law Enforcement Leadership Academy

The Youth Law Enforcement Leadership Academy is designed for young adults interested in law enforcement, county government, the judiciary system and emergency services. Unlike other traditional police academies, the Youth Law Enforcement Leadership Academy is an ongoing program for middle and high school students between the ages of 12 and 19. Cadets learn teamwork, sportsmanship, integrity and self-respect, and are given the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the challenges and skills that make up their community’s police service. Upon achieving various ranks in the Academy, cadets will participate in official promotion ceremonies.

Application

Bergen County Youth Police Academy

The Bergen County Youth Police Academy is an intensive, two-week course that brings together high school students from around Bergen County and familiarizes them with the activities of officers at all levels of law enforcement. Daily programs include presentations from educators, interaction with county agencies, structured events and field trips. The program is hosted jointly by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the Bergen County Police Department.

Sheriff’s Training and Redirection Team (S.T.A.R.T.)

Each year, many children and teenagers in our communities find themselves standing in front of a judge due to juvenile delinquency. The Sheriff’s Training and Redirection Team (S.T.A.R.T.) program is an intensive, 10-day program run in cooperation with the Bergen County Family Court, the Bergen County Division of Family Guidance and the Bergen County Probation Department. The program is designed to turn criminal tendencies into positive behavior through structured events that promote emotional growth, personal development, behavior modification and positive reinforcement. This innovative “boot camp” program is designed to rehabilitate juvenile offenders and prevent future incarceration by providing discipline, counseling and leadership in a military format.

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Group Programs (available to community or school groups)

Safety Presentations

The Sheriff's Office conducts presentations for student groups on a variety of personal safety topics. Please call the Community Outreach Unit at 201-336-3540 to discuss your needs.

Gold Star ID Program

he Gold Star Identification Program provides first responders with vital medical information in the event of an emergency. Participants are issued a photo identification card, which corresponds to a file maintained by the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office’s 24-Hour Operations Unit. The program is available for county residents over the age of 65 and individuals with autism.

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Application*(*For groups of 25 or more individuals)

High Intensity Talks (H.I.T.)

High Intensity Talks are special presentations made by adults who are presently incarcerated for minor, non-violent crimes. The inmates discuss with students how alcohol, drugs and crime have negatively impacted their lives. HIT Team demonstrations are designed to deter juveniles from criminal activity, gang involvement and the dangers of using illegal substances.

K-9 Unit Demonstrations

The Sheriff’s Office maintains several K-9 teams to assist the BCSO and law enforcement agencies throughout the state in a broad range of tasks and situations. Each K-9 Team consists of an officer and a canine ‘partner’ that has been specially trained in a specific skill, such as bomb detection and narcotics searches. While the tools available to law enforcement grow increasingly sophisticated, K-9 officers and their partners remain one of the most effective resources the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office has at its disposal. In these demonstrations, our K-9 officers highlight the functions and capabilities of these highly trained and sophisticated dogs.

Sheriff's Alcohol Impaired Driving Program (S.A.I.D.)

The Sheriff’s Alcohol Impaired Driving Program is a great tool to teach youth the dangers of drunk driving. The program utilizes Fatal Vision Goggles to simulate a blood alcohol content of .17 by altering depth perception and hand eye coordination. This unique learning tool offers kids a safe example of how severely alcohol can impair a person’s ability to conduct routine tasks.

Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) Tours

The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is comprised of the Crime Scene Unit, Firearms Identification/Ballistics Unit, and the Detective Unit. Officers conduct informative tours on the day-to-day operations of this Bureau as well as how it uses cutting edge forensics and advanced investigative techniques to combat crime in Bergen County.

Bergen County Jail Tour

The Bergen County Jail serves the community as a central reception and processing center for pre-trial male and female adult detainees whose incarceration is necessary to ensure a court appearance. One of the state's finest correctional facilities with more than 320 Correction Officers and a capacity of 1,250 beds, students are provided a tour of this around-the-clock operation.

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Jail Visitor Form