About 200 Frederick youths were treated to some intimate time with officers of the Frederick Police Department this week. The children, ages 7 to 14, were not in trouble, but were a part of the department's seventh annual Youth Police Academy, where for four days, police give an up-close look at the tools of their trade for free.

About 50 youth took advantage of the opportunity on Tuesday, asking questions whose answers are usually romanticized and misrepresented in the movies, and were informed of things that wowed them more than seeing an M-4 rifle.

Pepper spray is a lot hotter than jalapeño peppers, they learned, and yes they could be arrested for disrupting school activities. No, police officers do not blow up their rubber gloves into balloons. And yes, dogs from the K-9 unit do get to go home and live with their officers when they get old.

Coos of "I want to ride that," and "I want to do that," filled the room as the children were schooled in how officers ride on Segways and shown five seconds of electricity coming from a police Taser "stun gun."

Gasps were just as pervasive when Officer Angie Nibert told the group that the handcuffs being passed around the room for viewing could be around their wrists as early as 8 years old, and that the most prevalent crimes in their age group were theft and assault.

"By then you've been with your parents for eight years, and your teachers … you know better than to keep your hands to yourself," Nibert told the group.

These were the life lessons in an informal setting that Michele Bowman, community outreach coordinator for the department, said the academy was all about.

"This instills really good values in the kids," Bowman said. "They learn how to be responsible."

Officers also learn from the academy, Bowman said, as the youth in their inquisitive and innocent way often ask questions that officers don't expect.

Most importantly, Bowman said, the academy helps to address some apprehension that youth can feel about law enforcement.

"We get a lot of kids who are somewhat fearful of police — from their past experiences, et cetera — and this really breaks down the barriers," she said.

Logan Quintan, 9, of Frederick said that he didn't want to be a police officer because he didn't want to get shot or carry heavy equipment, but that he did think differently about them after attending the academy.

"I think they're happy now," Quintan said.

Youths also participated in detective activities such as dusting for fingerprints and how to process a staged crime scene. The day commenced with the children finding if they had what it takes to be a new police officer by attempting the department's physical agility course.

Graciela Villacis, who brought her two daughters, said that she thought it was important for her girls to learn about some of the protective measures they should take, particularly in stranger danger situations.

"They really need to know what's going on in the city," Vallicis said. "I always like to show them what to do to protect themselves."

E-mail Erica L. Green at egreen@gazette.net.