City police academy fills up as chief looks to rebuild volunteer corps

Buckhannon’s Youth Police Academy has filled its roster for next month, even as the police department works to rebuild a volunteer program that has dwindled to a handful of members, Police Chief Matt Gregory told city council at its June 17 meeting.

Two dozen young people signed up for the academy before the application deadline passed, Gregory said. The program, revived this summer after a seven-year hiatus, will run July 13 through 17 from 8 a.m. to noon.

“We passed our deadline, so we are set for July 13 through 17,” Gregory said. “We have 24 that are signed up for the academy, and they range in age from 11 to 16 years old.”

The week-long program, led by Officer Dylan Major, is hands-on, with activities that include K9 demonstrations and mock crime scenes. Gregory invited council members to stop by and see the academy in action.

“If you’re free, you’re more than welcome to stop by and take part in the Youth Police Academy,” he told them.

Gregory also made a pitch for volunteers. The department’s Volunteers in Police Service program, known as VIPS, is down to about four or five active members, he said, from the 12 it had at the start of 2025.

“VIPS is down to about four or five active members, and we’d like to see a revitalization of the numbers,” Gregory said. “We’re always accepting applications. Anybody who is interested in volunteering, they’re encouraged to contact myself or the police department for more information to get an application.”

VIPS volunteers assist officers without taking on enforcement roles, providing traffic control and serving as a link between police and the community at public events. The update came after council member Pam Bucklew asked whether anyone new was signing up. Gregory said the department has a couple of applications out and is waiting for them to come back.

City recorder Randy Sanders said he would help spread the word. He called the work “great service.”

Gregory closed his remarks to council with a note on joint training. Buckhannon officers and Upshur County sheriff’s deputies will train together on de-escalation July 7 in the training room at the city’s Public Safety Complex. The sheriff’s office is hosting the session, which will put staff from both agencies through the same instruction.

“We look at putting all our respective staffs through this training,” Gregory said.

De-escalation is a subject the department already covers extensively in its use-of-force training throughout the year, Gregory added.