Peru Police Department Junior Police Academy hosts first graduation ceremony

The Peru Police Department Junior Police Academy hosted a graduation ceremony for 23 cadets Friday, following the launch of the program this year.

For the past two weeks, about 28 junior cadets from around the Illinois Valley visited the police department to gain firsthand experience of what it takes to be a member of law enforcement, from crime scene investigation and the impact of drugs on society to one-on-one training with different police agencies.

The program, made possible in part to a $5,000 donation from GAF, was for students entering sixth through ninth grades. During the ceremony, cadets received awards for best foot pursuit, search and seizure, and interview and integration.

School Resource Officer Brian Zebron, who led the program, said the department wanted to incorporate as many divisions or areas of law enforcement to allow the cadets to see what is available.

“Sometimes, you think if you’re a police officer, you’re going to sit in a patrol car all day or something. So, we really wanted to show the different dynamics of the job.”

Matthew Jones, 12, of Oglesby said he enjoyed the entire experience but his favorite aspect was the Department of Natural Resources training. He wants to be a conservation officer because of his love for the outdoors and fishing.

“I also really liked the SWAT part,” he said. “We went over to the Army place, and SWAT showed us a bunch of things.”

Jones wasn’t the only cadet who enjoyed the SWAT experience — the simulation seemed to be a favorite among the group. The Illinois State Police and the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office SWAT teams looked for a suspect through the halls and allowed the cadets to look through their equipment.

“My favorite part was seeing SWAT in action,” Addy Rebholz, 14, of Peru, said. “We also did a little bit of crime scenes and K-9 units. … I’m the oldest one here, so it was kind of fun watching all of the kids.”

Rebholz said she hopes to be in forensics and enjoyed the CSI portion, taking foot molds and learning about fingerprint analysis.

Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond said the success of the program and witnessing the support for law enforcement means a lot.

“This shows that there’s a great interest for law enforcement, regardless of whatever the climate may be at the time,” she said. “Everyone here (the cadets) was super engaged and they got to do a lot of cool things, which helps.”

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School Resource Officer Brian Zebron talks at the Juvenile Police Academy graduation ceremony on Friday, July 25, 2025 at the Peru Police Department in Peru. (MaKade Rios for Shaw Media)