On April 1, a group of 17 teenagers from various schools gathered outside of Cupertino's city offices in the dark parking lot and windy weather, dusting fingerprints off a black Honda Accord belonging to Sgt. Larry Imas from the sheriff's office in Santa Clara County.

The activity was 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.

The program, which started on Feb. 25 and is scheduled to continue through May 13, is designed to give students who are curious about law enforcement an in-depth view of what it is like to work in the field. For one day each week, students meet at Cupertino City Hall for three hours to learn about different aspects of law enforcement, including criminal law, officer safety, the laws of search and seizure and crime scene investigation.

For Saratoga resident and St. Francis High School senior Leslie Maglione, who is thinking about becoming an FBI agent or a detective, the crime scene investigation lecture has been the "coolest" thus far, though she said she has enjoyed all the other classes as well.

"I've always had a weird fascination with solving crimes," she said. "I love reading the crime section of the newspaper and watching mystery movies."

Despite her fascination with the law, Maglione said she "never considered it seriously as a profession" until she participated in the program after hearing about it from her mother.

"This program is good for her," said her mother, Celia, who first heard about the program while talking to a sheriff's deputy. "Leslie has a defined sense of right and wrong, which is what this field is about."

Leslie said she's learned a lot from the program and is grateful that the volunteer staff of lieutenants, deputies and sergeants is telling the class the hard facts about working in law enforcement.

"I didn't realize that there is so much work that goes into being an officer," she said. "They give us the whole spectrum. They tell us about all the good stuff and the bad stuff."

Daniel Kim, a sophomore at Saratoga High School, said he's discussed the possibility of pursuing a career as a police officer many times with his brothers and friends. He said he's checked out some forums online and browsed the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office's homepage.

"It's an exciting job," said Kim. "Every day would be a different experience. I also want to help people."

So does Deputy Sheriff Janet Shannon.

"We want to reach out to kids who are walking the fine line—kids who are close to experimenting with drugs and displaying disorderly behavior," she said.

According to Shannon, the program has helped many former students in launching their careers in law enforcement. She said many students who keep in contact with the department are either working in the field or working toward becoming probation officers, firefighters and law students.

"We hope to give students a more realistic view of what law enforcement is," said Shannon.

According to Shannon, many of the students she sees start the program having glamorized visions of what law enforcement is based on what they see 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 eight years ago, said he hopes it will guide the students in pursuing their endeavors, whether it be in law enforcement or something different.

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

Lt. Luther Pugh, who has been with the sheriff's office for 24 years, said he's impressed with the level of enthusiasm the students showed during his class, in which he discussed the rights listed in the Constitution and the criteria for search warrants.

"It's a lively class," he said. "The students are bright. They're asking good questions, which shows that they are paying attention."

Imas added that he hopes students will learn to appreciate all the work law enforcement officers do.

Students will be learning about DUI, bombs and narcotics investigations in future classes.

For more information on the program and future classes, contact the School Resource Officer Unit at 408.876.9715.