High School Course Teaches L.A. Students Basics of Being a Traffic Cop

Vehicle codes and violations? Check. Top 10 causes for traffic collisions and most dangerous intersections in the San Fernando Valley? No problem.

Taking a crash report? Easy.

Thanks to a new effort by LAPD's Valley Traffic Division, cadets graduating from James Monroe High School Police Academy Magnet will already have the basics of being a traffic cop down pat way before they set foot in a real police academy.

Since the school year began in August, a Valley Traffic officer has been teaching one class a week on traffic safety and other information that will come in handy for the future cops.

"It's not only to teach them traffic safety," said Officer Mark Cronin of Valley Traffic. "But those that want to go on and become law enforcement officers will have a natural progression into the field. We can teach them something that will be beneficial not only to them and families, but to society."

The new program is part of the magnet's goal of keeping students on track toward graduation and helping grow their interest in law enforcement careers. Many potential recruits are disqualified from LAPD because they may have slipped up after graduating high school, such as by using drugs or hanging with the wrong crowd, and the program is a reminder for the cadets to stay on the right path, said Grace Fabian, lead teacher at the police academy.

"It really gets the kids excited," Fabian said. "It connects the curriculum to a real-life career choice. It makes them feel valued by LAPD ... and it's a great learning experience because anytime you can give curriculum with the stories and connect it together, it just gives them motivation to stay excited."

Valley Traffic Division became the magnet's sponsor two years ago, and the relationship had mainly consisted of having barbecues with the cadets, or having the cadets volunteer at the division's annual Valley Car Show.

But this year, officers saw an opportunity to not only attract cadets to their ranks once they graduate from college, but to emphasize the LAPD's belief in community policing and help with career development. The division is also extending internships to several of the cadets.

"It teaches not about being a cop, but about life, how to be successful, how to focus on education, discipline," said Capt. Ivan Minsal, head of Valley Traffic. "If they come to law enforcement, we want them to come to LAPD first.

"But those that want to be doctors, politicians, attorneys, those will all have a solid foundation."

Minsal last week led the entire academy class of about 150 students on a 1.1 mile run near the North Hills campus. The cadets ran in platoon formation, much like recruits do at the LAPD Police Academy, and were escorted by motorcycle and bicycle officers.

"I enjoyed it a lot," said Aaron Lopez, a junior. "It gives us a heads up to what to expect in the LAPD.'

Lopez, who is a sergeant rank at the magnet program, has already decided that he wants to become a Valley Traffic motor officer once he gets his college degree.

"Before, I didn't know the definitions and stuff of pedestrians or jaywalking," said Lopez, 16, of North Hills. "Now, it seems more interesting, because you actually know what people are doing right from wrong."

Cadets are also taught how to observe the scene of a crash, how to determine which party is at fault, and making sure reports are accurate for use in courts.

"It helps me think of what I want to do inside law enforcement, either traffic, a gang unit, or narcotics," said Rosemary Hernandez, a senior and captain of the police academy program at Monroe.

Officers also offer mentoring for cadets who need it. Many of the students come from single-parent homes, Cronin said.

"It gives them structure that they just don't have," Cronin said. "What I'm finding is that there are many who don't have a father figure and just don't have that connection with somebody that they can come up to and ask questions that they wouldn't be able to ask."

Monroe is one of four police academy magnet school programs in L.A., with another at Reseda High School. Although all the programs have a full-time LAPD officer in the classroom, Valley Traffic Division is so far the only one that has sent officers to teach a specific topic and offer mentoring, said Roberta Weintraub, executive director of the L.A. Police Academy Magnet School Program.

The new effort is a boon in light of budget cuts to LAUSD, she said.

"I'm just thrilled about the relationship between the LAPD and LAUSD and their commitment to our kids," Weintraub said. "May this relationship continue forever."

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