Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson commented: “Congratulations to all of the graduate’s of this year’s newly renamed Rock Barrieau Junior Police Academy at the Gardner Police Department. With its largest class yet at 27 cadets, these students had a great week and learned a lot about how our local police department operates. Thank you for Officer Ryan Spain and everyone involved in running this program every year!”
The Junior Police Academy is an educational week long program open to students 13 to 17 years old, that have an interest in learning about law enforcement. The academy teaches cadets about the methods and techniques used in the profession through a para-military setting that will include, classroom training, hands on instruction, practical application and physical fitness training. Cadets gain an understanding of community responsibility and problem solving.
This yearly program is FREE to participants with costs covered by sponsors of the program. The Gardner PD has an application period which it announces every year.
Gardner PD Rock Barrieau Junior Police Academy Graduates 27 in July 2026
27 teenage cadets graduated from the Gardner PD Rock Barrieau Junior Police Academy – the largest class yet. The Gardner PD chronicled every day of the program which is represented in photographs in our graphic derived from the Gardner PD daily Facebook posts. Gardner Magazine is honoring this community commitment by publishing this daily chronicle from the Gardner PD:
Day 1: Day 1 of the Rock Barrieau Junior Police Academy is in the books. The Cadets were welcomed by our enthusiastic staff instructors. They then learned some lifesaving skills towards their CPR certification, went for a casual workout at @fitness_concepts with a group Murph challenge, and learned the about defensive tactics. Looking forward to another exciting day with our cadets tomorrow!
Day 2: Day 2 of the Academy was another action-packed day!Cadets continued CPR training, pushed themselves during PT, explored crime scene investigations, and learned the fundamentals of motor vehicle stops.Our Academy Squad Leaders put their ability to give clear directions to the test during a drawing challenge. Let’s just say…they are all refrigerator worthy.Another great day of learning, leadership, and teamwork!
Day 3: HAPPY HUMP DAY Day 3 of the Rock Barrieau J.P.A. is complete. The cadets had the opportunity to meet some community members from the Heywood Wakefield Commons, playing board games and serving ice cream to the residents. The cadets also assisted with building a garden bed for their outdoor space. This was a sweet ending to the cadets’ day, as they spent today learning about drug investigations, the risks of impaired driving, and also had a presentation on healthy relationships from the GPD Domestic Violence Advocate.
Day 4: Today’s culminating scenario gave cadets the opportunity to apply the skills they’ve learned all week as they responded to a simulated impaired driving crash. The day wrapped up with a lesson on firearm safety followed by our Top Shot competition. A special thank you to Fitness Concepts Health Club and TimberFire Pizza for their 7 years of unwavering support for our Junior Police Academy. Your continued partnership has helped make this program a success year after year, and we are incredibly grateful. 1 more day to go!
Day 5: Day 5 of the Rock Barrieau Junior Academy! The final day before graduation was one to remember! Cadets tested their piloting skills by navigating toy drones through an obstacle course with guidance from our Drone Unit, put their teamwork to the test during Nerf Breach Games, visited the Gardner District Court, and wrapped up the academy with K9 Rocky and Officer Willis. A special thanks to Maki Building Centers for their donation of materials to build sets for our cadets. What an incredible week of learning, leadership, and teamwork. We can’t wait to celebrate our cadets at graduation!
Graduation Day!: Congratulations to the 2026 Rock Barrieau Junior Police Academy! After a full week of challenges, hands-on training, teamwork, and leadership, our cadets officially crossed the finish line today. We are incredibly proud of everything they accomplished and wish them a happy and safe summer. A huge thank you to our instructors, families, community partners, and everyone who helped make this year’s academy possible. Congratulations, Cadets! You earned it!