Spotlight: Building the Badge
A Youth Pipeline to Public Safety
When children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, the answers often come with wide eyes and boundless imagination—astronaut, doctor, superhero. For some, the dream is grounded in service: wearing a badge, serving their community, and saving lives. These are the youth that inspired Opelika, Alabama, Police Department’s 20 Under 20 Student Exploratory Program.

