Lynn Police hope students will investigate academy

LYNN – Classical High School junior Sebryna Ryan and 28-year veteran police Officer Mark Lee share common backgrounds. They were both inspired at a young age to consider law enforcement careers.Lee recalled former Lynn Police Sgt. Robert Condon as a larger-than-life presence walking a beat on Holyoke Street where he was a mentor and disciplinarian to neighborhood kids. Ryan was 6 years old when she started looking up to her uncle, Somerville Police Officer Daniel Ryan.?I always wanted to fill his shoes,” she said.Ryan got a chance to see how those shoes fit last summer when she participated in the Lynn Police Student Academy run by Lee and Officer Ryan McDermott. This summer?s academy is in session from July 6 to August 13, and applications are available in local middle and high schools.Named “outstanding student” during last year?s academy, Ryan said the work and focus required by McDermott and Lee meant disciplining herself.?I liked everything about it. I didn?t want to get up so early, but I?m really glad I did it,” she said.The academy offers a glimpse at police work on the local, state and federal level through field trips, classroom work and physical fitness activities. Students learn about the law, first aid and crime scene investigation. Trips include an outing to the house of corrections in Middleton and the New England Patriots training camp.Lynn residents ages 13 to 18 years old are eligible to apply, and applications include an essay requirement, a student?s recent report card and reference letter. Lee said 75 students have already applied for 40 academy slots.Applications should be filled out and returned to school guidance counselors or the police station by June 19.Ryan has told her all of her friends about the academy, and she would like to participate in it again this summer, even though McDermott said officers like to make the program a first-time experience for students.?Their interest and attention to details and all-around enthusiasm really strikes me,” he said.Micah Rucker participated in the 2014 academy, and the KIPP charter school freshman said a summer under McDermott and Lee?s supervision changed his perceptions of police officers. He wants to pursue a military career but will not rule out police work.?I respect them a lot. I would like to come back to the community and see it as safe as I would want it to be,” Rucker said.Police Chief Kevin Coppinger said the academy is for students who are committed to learning about police work.?For a kid, it?s tough to give up part of their summer: They have to really want to do this,” he said.The academy has introduced 300 Lynn youth to police work during its 13-year history, including participants who pursued law enforcement and military careers. Money shortages kept the program from operating during several summers, and Coppinger said the academy was “on the ropes” financially in 2014 before the School Department provided money to help cover roughly $20,000 in expenses associated with the program.Lee said instructing academy participants helps him stay aware of what young people are thinking and talking about.?We learn from the kids about what?s going on in the community,” he said.