GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — When 16-year-old Kyla Prude isn’t dancing, she’s at home watching a classic her mom introduced her to: Law and Order. After many marathons, the series cracking down on crime became her favorite.
“I started watching it more and more on my own, and then I started getting interested in being a detective to help domestic and rape victims. It's just something I've always wanted to do,” said Prude.
She discovered a program called Pathways to Policing through her school and decided to check it out to see what the job was really like. The experience opened her eyes to more than she expected.
“I always had mixed feelings about police officers, because as a black person, it's always scary to confront a police officer because of what's going on in the world right now. But I also see it as they're also just trying to help,” said Prude.
The 13-week program includes mentoring, hands-on training, test prep, mock interviews and life development skills. GRPD Officer Ray Erickson oversees it all.
“With a program like this, the kids get to see firsthand who we are as people, because we're with them for a couple of hours, for 13 straight weeks,” said Erickson.
During the program, officers have meals with students and show them the way they do their job, and why they do it. Changing their perspective on policing and hopefully inspiring the next generation of police officers.
“Then they can kind of strive to be, in our shoes and later down the road, we'll be able to build a better police force that actually comes from our community,” said Erickson.
Prude says, after she went through the program, she realized police officers are normal people and can even be friendly.
The program strengthening her passion of one day becoming a police officer, and working her way up to a detective to help domestic abuse and rape victims. Just like some of her favorite characters from the show.
At just 16, she's already graduated high school and plans to attend Grand Valley State University’s Police Academy. Something Pathways to Policing has greatly prepared her for.
The program is grant-funded and in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids for kids ages 13-17. You can find more information here.
Check out our list of community resources available to help in West Michigan.