It is with great pride that Chief Antonio Ellis and the Manchester Township Police Department congratulate the graduates of the 2025 #YouthPoliceAcademy!
This annual summer program, held this year from June 30-July 3, 2025, introduced students from grades 6, 7 and 8 to the law enforcement profession and taught them what it means to be a police officer through hands-on demonstrations and activities. The youth cadets engaged in a variety of activities each day showing them different aspects of law enforcement.
“I’m proud of all the cadets and their accomplishments, as they dedicated a week of their summer vacation to learning and demonstrating the principles of discipline, leadership, and dedication,” said Chief Ellis. “Our officers were able to connect with them, have fun, and build a relationship that shows we’re regular people behind our badges.”
The youth cadets were taught the history of the Manchester Township Police Department, met with Manchester Division of Emergency Services personnel, visited Ocean County Jail, the Lakehurst section of the Joint Base, saw SWAT and K-9 demonstrations, visited the NJSP Task Force 1 headquarters and learned about physical fitness, first aid, traffic safety, and drones.
On July 3, the youth cadets celebrated their accomplishments with a pizza party and graduation ceremony where Chief Ellis addressed the class, family and friends.
Helping to make the Youth Police Academy possible were Sgt. Keith Craig, Ptl. Kyle Rickvalsky, Ptl. Jordan Weed, Ptl. Connor Maliff, Ptl. Taylor Schandall, Ptl. Michael Sullivan, Ptl. Sage Sysol, Ptl. Chis Kimbiz, Ptl. Jesse Hoydis, Ptl. Lorenzo Jorge, Manchester Police K-9 Unit, Ocean County SWAT, New Jersey State Police, Ocean County Fire Academy, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and The Manchester Township Board of Education.