West Islip Students to Graduate from SCPD Youth Academy

Two West Islip High School students are among a group graduating from the Suffolk County Police Department’s Youth Academy Friday.

Michael DeBlasi and Nicholas Citarella will graduate from the academy, an educational program that offers specialized training to familiarize the youth of Suffolk County with the role of a police officer.

Prior to the graduation ceremony at the Brentwood campus of Suffolk Community College, students will complete a timed Police Challenge Obstacle Course. The physical fitness test is a culmination of what students have learned during their youth academy training. The test will be a simulated police call during which students will run, climb a wall, drag a mannequin and handcuff a suspect.

This is the second class to graduate from the academy this year and includes 41 students from Suffolk County high schools who participated in five days of training in police operations and procedures including crime scene investigation, laws of arrest, patrol tactics, traffic enforcement and police pursuits.