OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Students in the Shawnee Mission School District’s Blue Eagle Program will now have their very own patrol car.
On Friday, the Lenexa Police Department retired a 2008 Dodge Charger from its patrol fleet, donating it to the school district.
"We think it's something that benefits the community as a whole, I mean not just Lenexa, but really all the communities in this part of Johnson County," said Officer Danny Chavez, Lenexa Police Department.
This is the first year for the district’s Blue Eagle Program. It focuses on exposing students to three career paths: law enforcement, firefighting EMT, and the legal profession.
"I'm very proud of the students because it takes some courage to engage in this," said Anthony Palmisano, Blue Eagle Program Instructor. "It's not always popular to be a cop, especially as a teenager."
The patrol car will help provide students with realistic simulations of law enforcement scenarios and training.
