The Rockaway Township Police Department will hold its second annual Junior Police Academy the week of July 13 through July 17, 2026, at the Dennis B. O’Brien School, located at 418 Mineral Spring Drive in Dover.
The program is open to 40 Rockaway Township recruits between the ages of 11 and 14 who are currently in the 5th through 8th grade. Applications for this year closed on May 22, so the 2026 class is already set.
The week runs daily from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is built around a real police academy format, mixing hands-on activities, physical training, and presentations from guest law enforcement agencies. The department says this year’s program may include the Morris County Sheriff’s Office K9 and Bomb Squad, the New Jersey State Police and the NJSP helicopter, the Morris County Correctional Facility, the Morris County Communications Center, and a trip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
Recruits bring their own lunch each day, and the academy provides a free pizza lunch on the final day. The week wraps with a graduation ceremony on Friday, July 17, with each recruit’s family invited to attend. The ceremony time is still to be determined.
Families with questions about the program can contact Lt. Taffin at 973-625-4000, ext. 1121. Full details are posted on the Rockaway Township Junior Police Academy page.
