By Bosten Morehart

Staff writer

The Youth Trooper Academy is full of great learning experiences and challenges that taught Emily Sachtjen plenty of new things.

Emily Sachtjen attended the Youth Trooper Academy from June 24 to June 26. The academy took place in Pierre at the Law Enforcement Training Center.

Sachtjen first heard about the academy when two troopers spoke at Winner High School.

“Two troopers came to Winner High School and did a presentation on the academy, then they basically gave you a form to fill out if you were interested and I filled it out, sent it in.”

After filling out the form she had an interview with the academy over the phone. She was then selected to attend and was one of the 24 selected from across the state.

Sachtjen said she is a little interested in law enforcement but also has other things planned out for the near future. “I’m starting the process of enlisting into the Air National Guard actually,” said Sachtjen.

Attending the academy was a way for her to see if she would like to be in the law enforcement field or not.

Enlisting in the National Guard is something she has thought of for a while and has always respected it. “The benefits are really nice but, I have just always had a high regard for military people. I think it would be cool to be in it,” said Sachtjen.

The academy was for 17 and 18-year-olds just entering high school or those who have just graduated high school.

While there she participated in several different activities that showed those who attended what some of the training the troopers go through is like.

Some of the activities they did were EVOC Range, which is defensive driving, firearms training, classroom work, and traffic stops. Her favorite one to participate in was the EVOC Range.

During the defensive driving course, they were able to go through a track learning technique of defensive driving. “We got to drive some old, not very old patrol cars. Like I got to drive a Dodge Charger and cruise around a whole track,” said Sachtjen.

During the firearms training they were able to use some of the firearms that the state troopers use. For the traffic stops, they did not actually pull anyone over, instead they just practiced it.

The classroom section of the training was for them to learn some of the criminal laws. Sachtjen mentioned one thing that they learned is what part of the law enforcement needs to have a reason to pull you over and who does not.

They also had the chance to put on the “bite suit” and have the dogs sent after them. She was not able to participate although she wanted to, because they only allowed those who were 18 to do so.

The Highway Patrol was not the only group there teaching them about law enforcement.

“They actually had a bunch of different law enforcement groups come in, they had FBI, Army National Guard, dispatchers came in, SWAT, the sheriff’s department came in a talked to us.”

The different groups that came in all talked about the different options you have when going into the law enforcement field. That allowed for them to see that there are more options other than just the Highway Patrol.

Sachtjen said that if she was to go into law enforcement it would probably be as a state trooper for the variety of work.

“I feel like they get to go more places, like they have a bigger jurisdiction than the town policemen. Town policemen usually have to stay in town versus highway patrolmen can go into a wider area and they also get called into crash sites and they get to help with some investigation stuff.”

During the week there were six to eight mentors that were troopers who were instructing those who attended. Those mentors shared stories with the academy students on their experiences while working in the field.

Although she experienced a lot while at the academy, Sachtjen mentioned that her favorite thing was not just one activity that they did.  “My favorite thing I took away from it is, it was a challenge,” said Sachtjen.

Early mornings of physical training, days full of work, keeping everything in perfect order is the challenge she mentioned, but that only gave her confidence.

“It was all just like a big change for me because I had never done something like that before, it’s nice knowing I can do a challenge like that.”