The group of 17 teenagers from various high schools dusted fingerprints off a black Honda Accord belonging to Sgt. Larry Imas from the sheriff's office in Santa Clara County. They learned how to differentiate between prison gangs and street gangs. They rode along with police officers on a 10-hour shift.

These activities were part of an 11-week program called the Teenage Community Police Academy—spearheaded by school resource officers and sheriff's deputies Eileen Phares and Janet Shannon in conjunction with the cities of Saratoga and Cupertino.

Started on Feb. 25 and scheduled to continue through May 13, the program is designed to give students who are curious about law enforcement an in-depth view of what it's like to work in the field. Every Tuesday, students meet at Cupertino City Hall for three hours to learn about criminal law, officer safety, the laws of search and seizure and crime scene investigation.

Since the program started eight years ago, 250 students have joined up. This year, 10 out of the 17 students are from Monta Vista High School.

Monta Vista sophomore Brinne Bownas says she joined the academy because she wants to be a policewoman.

"Originally I wanted to be in the military, but my parents and grandparents were totally against it," says Bownas, 16. "To be a cop is something I want to do, too. Although my family still doesn't like it because it is too dangerous, they think it is safer than being in the Army."

Monta Vista sophomore Brian Jiang's mother, Amy Zhang, says.

"When we drive on the road, Brian will ask me to pay attention to the speed limit. He never cared about these things before," says Zhang, 44. "Although I am still very reluctant to let him be a cop, I feel he has benefited a lot from the program."

Deputy Sheriff Janet Shannon says the program has helped many former students in launching their careers in law enforcement.

"We hope to give students a realistic view of law enforcement" said Shannon.

According to Shannon, many students start the program having unrealistic expectations of law enforcement careers because of what they've seen on television and in the movies. However, they come out of the class with a better understanding of the system.

Capt. John Hirokawa from the Sheriff's Department Westside Substation, who started the whole program, said he hopes it will guide the students in pursuing their goals, whether they are in law enforcement or something else.

"We're trying to help students become better citizens," he said. "We want to help educate the community about the laws they live under."

Deputy Sheriff Eileen Phares, who has coordinated the program for three years, says the students have served as a positive influence on campus.

"When we go to schools, these children will come to talk to us and their friends follow them. So when they are in trouble, students feel more comfortable talking to the police," says Phares, who has been in law enforcement for 23 years. "They help people see the positive side of the police."

For more information on the program and future classes, contact the School Resource Officer Unit at 408.867.9715.

—Staff reporter I-chun Che
contributed to this story.