Breaking The Cycle: Teen and Police Service Academy changing lives

HOUSTON - Since its inception in 2012, the Teen and Police Service Academy, also known as TAPS, has welcomed more than 700 students from 25 schools into the program. It provides a safe space for kids to connect with members of law enforcement.

The program typically runs for 11 to 18 weeks, covering topics from conflict mediation, drug prevention and awareness, leadership, and so much more.

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Dr. Everette Penn is the Executive Director of the program.

"We started off with about 50 students, and ever since then, we have functioned every semester and every summer providing this great opportunity for youth. One-off programs are not the way to make effective change. We have to have relationships, and we have to make room for relationship building," says Dr. Penn.

One of the core building blocks and what makes this program successful is the officer.

Alondra Ortiz, the Program Manager for TAPS says, "Not every officer can be a TAPS officer. The right officer, with the right group of kids, in the right setting, is crucial."

Especially if you want to change the narrative in the community when the kids and officers are not together.

Those are the pivotal moments when the kids and the officers can pull from their experiences to make tangible change.
"When they go out with their friends or family, they can say not all officers are bad, I know a couple of good officers because of TAPS Academy and the officers that I've met," says Ortiz.

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Take David Vasquez for example. He graduated from the TAPS summer program at the University of Houston.

"Now when I see police officers, I know they’re just normal human beings, doing their job. If they need help, we should step in and do our part," says David Vasquez.

David's mom, Michelle, says she was nervous for her son's future.

"David did not make some good choices and his probation officer recommended the program."

But she recalls the moment when things changed for him. TAPS had a group of kids in the foster care system visit the classroom.

"He was like Mom they don't have a home, and we just kind of sat in silence and I said that's not like your life is it. Because your life is Xbox, cell phone, own room, you name it. They've got it and so it just changed his perspective. I’m so pleased to say that TAPS is 100% what they say it is. I believe it saved my son’s life," says Michelle Vasquez.

This goes to show, the TAPS Academy is more than just an educational program; it’s a community builder.