It’s the kind of stuff they see in films and on TV.
But now, fiction has become real life for some of Dundee’s youngsters after they took part in the country’s first-ever junior police academy.
About 14 Police Scotland Youth Volunteers (PSYV) aged 13 to 16 taught a variety of skills needed to be a good copper to a group of 19 primary seven pupils from St Ninian’s over two days.
PC Ryan MacDonald, who runs the youth volunteer group, organised the event and said the academy brought a number of benefits.
He said: “We organised this firstly to increase the skills in peer education for our volunteers, but also to give the P7s a unique insight into police activity they wouldn’t get anywhere else. It is also to help build relationships in the community and to show people what they can do if they choose to become involved with PSYV.
“The volunteers had really enjoyed working with Safetaysiders (an annual police initiative which informs children on how to deal with potentially dangerous situations) and it was suggested they should do something on a bigger scale.
“That turned into this, a two-day event delivering police subjects.
“The volunteers taught the kids about evidence — how police recover a piece of evidence, and looking at things like DNA, photos and what items you would take as evidence.
“They were put in a housebreaking scenario and had to work out the best way of finding out who did it.
“They also got taught the process of a police investigation from when an officer first attends an incident, and the steps in place for an investigation to be carried out.”
PC MacDonald added that the volunteers also learnt about radio procedures, 999 calls, a brief history of the police, interview technique and officer safety.
He said: “This is a trial programme and it is the first time it has ever happened in Scotland and perhaps the whole of the UK.
“If the feedback is positive, we hope to roll it out to the whole of Dundee over the summer holidays.”
The volunteers providing the peer education said it had been a great experience for them and the kids they are teaching.
Amber Gray, 15, said: “It has been really good fun and the younger kids have been very enthusiastic.
“I got involved in the PSYV in order to gain confidence and I’ve found it has really helped.
“Peer education is a great skill to have and I enjoy teaching what I have learnt as a PSYV to a younger generation.”
Louize Whitelaw, 15, added: “The techniques we learn and teach are really interesting and I’m glad I was involved in the course, otherwise I’d be sitting in the house doing nothing. Being involved in PSYV has been really good for me — I wasn’t that well-behaved at school before and it has definitely improved that side of me.”
Finn Carroll, 11, one of the St Ninian’s pupils attending, said: “I was told this was the first one in Scotland so I really wanted to be involved. It has been great fun and we have learnt a lot but been having a laugh at the same time.
“I hadn’t really thought about becoming a policeman before, but this has made me think about it.”
Nairn Grieg, 11, another academy attendee, said: “I think it’s a really good opportunity for young kids to find out about how the police work. I’ve found that there is a big difference from what you see on TV.”