The middle school students enrolled in the criminal justice program at Cypress Creek Middle High School, in Wesley Chapel, recently got a first-hand look at what it takes, physically, to become a law enforcement officer.
The students participated in a timed fitness test, modeled after the same course that is given to candidates in the police academy. The test, known as the PAT (Physical Abilities Test), featured simulated calls to dispatch, entering and exiting a vehicle, a couple of 220-yard sprints, an obstacle course, and the firing of a dry weapon with each hand. The students had six minutes and four seconds to complete the course.
The school’s Criminal Justice Academy is the first of its kind geared towards middle school students, and focuses on the exploration of criminal justice and the skills required to enter the field of law enforcement.
