A Journey of Discipline and Growth
Bimael Torres, once an unmotivated and out-of-shape tween, found a new path through the Dover Junior Police Academy. Entering the program in 2023 as part of its inaugural class, Bimael was 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighed 245 pounds. Two years later, at age 14, he has grown 9 inches taller, lost 40 pounds, and gained muscle. His transformation is a testament to the discipline and work ethic he learned during his time in the academy.
Bimael credits the program for teaching him valuable life lessons about perseverance and dedication. "I was out of shape, but once I got here, it was a pretty cool thing just being here," he said. "I started to exercise. I admired them and they admired me. I learned that not everything in life is easy, and you have to work for it."
A talented pitcher and incoming freshman at Pope John Regional High School in Sparta, Bimael hopes to pursue a career in professional baseball. However, if that doesn’t pan out, he’s set on a career in law enforcement. "I would definitely go into law enforcement," he said.
The Vision Behind the Program
Officer Louis Sperry, who came out of retirement to design and direct the program, sees the academy as a passion project. Although he holds the title of Class 2 officer, he operates the academy as a volunteer. "It's a passion of mine," he said, as the latest class of eager recruits gathered on Dover's Crescent Field.
The program has seen steady growth since its inception. In 2023, 28 kids graduated from the first class. The numbers increased to 40 last year and 47 this summer, with 10 more on a waiting list. "I wanted to keep it at 40, but I hate to say no. And I still have that waiting list," Sperry admitted.
This year's program launched on July 28, with a graduation ceremony scheduled for August 2 at the Dover American Legion Hall, where the program is based. Off-duty officers and community volunteers, including Sperry's wife Jennifer, contribute their time. Local businesses and corporate sponsors help cover about $4,500 in operating expenses. Domino's Pizza, for example, will feed around 150 people for the post-graduation party at the Legion Hall.
"It's a free program for the kids, and it doesn't cost the town a dime," Sperry said. He starts planning for the next year in December.
Building a Stronger Future
Sperry learned how to operate the program by attending a similar junior police academy in Denville. Last year, after training with Sperry in Dover, Rockaway Township police started their own summer academy. Another "tritown" junior police academy runs for kids in Morristown, Morris Township, and Morris Plains. "So we learned from other departments, and now other departments are learning from us," Sperry said.
Police Chief Jonathan Delaney acknowledged the program may give the department a leg up on recruiting, which has become more challenging in recent years. Recruiting a diverse force of officers is even tougher, but Delaney noted that about half of his 36 full-time officers are Spanish-speaking bilingual, an important skill in a town where three-quarters of the community is of Hispanic or Latino heritage.
"They get a taste of everything, a complete overview," Delaney said of the program. "They have local, state, county and federal agencies that come and visit. Plus we have interns who get to meet these different agencies, and there are employment opportunities. Everybody benefits from this."
Encouraging Diversity and Community Involvement
Diversity at the academy extends to gender. "The first year, we only had four young ladies," Sperry said. "This year we have 18." Mayor James Dodd praised the program, saying, "It's a great opportunity for young individuals to understand law enforcement and hopefully look at law enforcement as a career in the future."
Maria Parra, a mother and aspiring law enforcement officer, grew up in Dover and wishes she had access to the academy when she was younger. Now pursuing a career in law enforcement, she passed the written portion of the test to qualify for entry into the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy. She plans to take the physical agility test in August and hopes to start the academy in January.
Parra also serves as a volunteer intern at the Dover Junior Police Academy, giving her a chance to watch her son, Esteban, 12, participate in his first year as Cadet No. 847. "He's a very curious kid and when we watch crime shows, he's always wanting to know more," she said. "This gives him that. He really likes crime scene investigation and wants to go into that."
Real-World Experiences and Community Bonds
During a Thursday-morning session, cadets met Morris County Sheriff’s Officer Marc Adamsky and his K-9 partner, Tim, an 8-year-old Dutch shepherd. Tim sat patiently behind Adamsky as he explained the process of teaming an officer with a canine. Bonding comes before training, Adamsky told them. "Every day I would come in and we would go on walks, and anytime he would come up to me, I would give him treats," he said. "I needed to show Tim I was part of his pack. He needs to know he's here to protect me, and I'm here to train and protect him."
Adamsky added that K-9 duty is about more than fighting crime. Police dogs assist in searches for missing children or adults experiencing dementia or medical episodes, or those trapped in a fire or building collapse.
For outdoor activities, which include calisthenics, marching drills, and demonstrations, the class walks two blocks from the Legion Hall to Crescent Field. An emergency canceled a planned landing by a New Jersey State Police helicopter earlier in the week. But on Thursday, Tim enchanted the young audience with energetic responses to Adamsky's direction.
A Growing Program with Big Ambitions
Training at the Dover academy can be rigorous. Bimael said it was difficult at first learning and following the commands barked by drill instructors, who would dish out push-ups and other fitness-related punishments for kids who messed up. But when he found himself falling behind in running drills, his classmates would stop to encourage him. "We might not know each other," he added. "But this week, we're like family. We're all in this together. If one falls, we all fall."
Now he's learning leadership skills, mentoring the recruits. "I get to be part of this. And while other kids would just normally be at home playing video games," Bimael said, "I'm out here, working and helping kids make their life better."
Sperry hopes to eventually add an academy for older kids, similar to the Explorer programs operated by the Morris County Sheriff's Office, which accept students up to age 20. "So now we would know the kids from fifth to eighth grade, and then we can mentor them through high school," he explained. "Then if they think they are interested in law enforcement, we can move them into an actual police job, unarmed, a Class 1 special."
Sponsors of Dover's junior police program include Home Depot, Casio, Shop-Rite, Chase Bank, Provident Bank, and Picatinny Federal Credit Union; neighborhood businesses including Sabor Latino, Nielsen Chevrolet, C&M Metals, John Schmidt/JPS Event Planning, and Dover Sportsplex also give support. Group sponsors include the Dover PBA Local 107, Dover Rotary, and the Dover Board of Education.