The activities began Monday at the Montgomery Police De­partment’s outdoor range on Old Hayneville Road and will continue throughout the week.

Participants in the academy are soon-to-be sixth-graders from the Weed and Seed area of west Montgomery.

During the weeklong camp, law enforcement officers from different departments will hold demonstrations, give speeches and offer their expertise to the children.

Activities will include traffic demonstrations, SWAT team demonstrations, tours of police headquarters, K9 training and much more for the 25 students from area schools.

Police Cpl. Denise Barnes said that many of the students involved in the camp already are somewhat familiar with the officers.

“Most of us are assigned to the Weed and Seed area, which is a high-crime area, but is still fairly small,” she said.

Twenty-five students can be a handful, but according to Barnes, the camp is always a fun time.

“This is my favorite time of year, when we get to do Junior Police Academy. I love it, and I think it gives a lot of these kids some positive reinforcement,” she said. “A lot of these kids are from the same schools also, so most of them already know each other.”

On Monday, the children noisily lined up in front of offi­cers holding protective gear, and one by one attempted to hold the weighty gear through fits of giggles.

Eleven-year-old Kiera Jar­rett said fingerprinting was among her favorite activities Monday.

“This definitely beats cheerleading camp!” Kiera said with a wide grin. “My mom told me to try something new this summer, and I’m really glad she did.”

Kiera noticed her fellow campers crowding around Cpl. D.M. Brown as he gave a police motorcycle demonstration, so she ran over to pose in the group picture that was being taken.

After the motorcycle demon­stration, the kids walked single file out on the lawn of the out­door range, where they awaited a SWAT raid demonstration, complete with flash bangs, si­rens and a cloth-dummy crimi­nal.

The kids cheered and holler­ed for different SWAT team members during the demonstra­tion, which ended with a group picture of the kids with the offi­cers in full SWAT garb.

“We always do some really fun things for the kids,” Barnes said.

At the end of the week, the kids will attend a graduation ceremony and be given T-shirts and plaques, she said.

Also this week, they’ll take a trip to the Montgomery Zoo, go to the theater to see “Shrek For­ever After,” and get a tour of the county courthouse, where they’ll participate in a mock trial, Barnes said.1

The Sierra Vista Citizen’s Police Academy will give about two dozen community members the opportunity to learn about police investigative techniques, firearms scenarios, the use of force and much more during its annual class, said Molly Schmitt, recruiter and volunteer coordinator for the Sierra Vista Police Department.

Started in 1998, the academy is designed to “develop citizens’ awareness and understanding of law enforcement” and to “broaden their horizons about what we do and how and why we do it,” Schmidt said.

Since then, more than 300 people have gone through the program, at least three of whom have gone on to become officers with the department. More still went on to become volunteers with the department, she said.

Along with the more hands-on lessons in fingerprinting, crime scene investigation and street gang identification, the program will offer a number of academic lessons on the history of the department and the town, constitutional law and more.

In its initial years, the program was held twice a year, but budget and time constraints have reduced it to an annual program, Schmitt said.

The limited availability of spots ensures a full class each year.

“I had 15 applicants overflow into this year’s academy from the previous year,” she said.

The event is free and open to anyone over the age of 18 who lives or works within the Sierra Vista area, has not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving violence or weapons and has had no misdemeanor arrests within the past six months.

The Citizen’s Police Academy begins Wednesday, Aug. 11, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and continues each following Wednesday.

Applications will be accepted until the course is full and can be found at www.sierravistaaz.gov/pd. For more information, contact Schmitt at 452-7500.

“We run this program every summer for youths from about 12 to 17 who may have a potential interest in law enforcement in any field. It doesn’t have to be as a police officer, it could be as an attorney or a judge or a counselor,” said Rockingham Police Chief Robert Voorhees.

The course will be held July 19-23.

The academy is offered to the teenagers of Rockingham and Richmond County at no cost through a grant from the Rockingham Rotary Club, and lasts from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Cameron Kelly, the 15-year-old son of RPD Maj. Billy Kelly, will be attending the week-long academy once again this year. He said it’s a valuable tool for teens to learn about public safety and the consequences of their actions.

“In my opinion, I think it’s fun,” Kelly said. “I enjoy it, because it’s not something you see every day. You actually learn a lot. It will teach you to stay away from drugs, and what will happen to you if you do get caught.”

“We’re interested in building the leaders of tomorrow,” Voorhees said.

Kelly went on to describe the way the program has gone in the past when he attended.

“On Monday, they may teach us how to write a ticket and lock somebody up,” Kelly explained. “Then, on Tuesday, they’ll show us the S.W.A.T. team equipment and all the guns. On Wednesday, we get to work with the dogs, then on Thursday, we’ll go to East Rockingham and the S.W.A.T. Team will bust up a house and we go to the (firing range in Hamlet) and we’ll compete to see if we can beat the cops.”

On Friday, Kelly said the cadets enjoy a cookout and some recreation time in the park with law officers.

Voorhees said the academy also gives the cadets a more realistic perspective on the work officers do.

“A lot of what we do is designed to counter what we call ‘The C.S.I. Effect,’” he said. “In other words, you can’t solve these crimes in 45 minutes like they do on T.V.”

Anyone who is interested in attending the program should visit the RPD Web site at www.gorockinghampd.com, or drop by the office at 305 E. Franklin St.. The phone number is 895-2468.

Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.

Read more: Richmond County Daily Journal – Junior Police Academy starts in July

The program targets those interested in a career in law enforcement but is open to any teenager. The two-week program will expose teen to public safety, including the medical and legal aspects, police said. They also will complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and earn their certification.

Teens will learn about the Police Department, including crime scene investigations, SWAT, and the motorcycle, detective and K-9 units.

The academy will meet at Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, July 12 to 23. It costs $45.

Teens must be 14 to 18 years old to register. Those interested can get an application by e-mailing Officer Peter Gutierrez at pgutierrez@goodyearaz.gov or Officer Kyle Rogers at krogers@goodyearaz.gov. The registration deadline is July 1.

The eight-week program is supervised by police chief Tommie Reese and is geared towards showing the public how the police department works and other information about police work.

In the first session, the 14 participants were greeted with an introduction to the course by Reese and Demopolis mayor Mike Grayson.

DPD training officer Bobby Howerton then introduced Sgt. Monica Oliver, who reviewed the history of the Demopolis Police Department with a PowerPoint presentation.

Howerton then reviewed the recruitment and selection process for applicants to the department and the required training that officers must go through.

The session closed with Cpl. Wayne Hosea of the Alabama State Troopers giving a PowerPoint presentation showing the officers’ training given at the Police Academy in Selma, where he has served as a trainer for more than two years.

Reese was pleased with the first session and said that there was already a waiting list for the next session, which will begin soon after the first one ends in July.

“I think it went really well,” he said. “I was very impressed with the turnout, and I was very impressed with the participants. They asked some questions and gave some feedback. I think it turned out well.

“For those who complete the course, we are hoping to be able to become alumni of the Citizens Academy and come back and give input and become more involved with the police department.”

Other classes will discuss self-defense, criminal investigations, narcotics, the school resource officer, accident investigations, internal affairs, the K-9 unit, honor guard and the relationship between the police department and attorneys.

The Citizens Police Academy is scheduled to meet every Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the Demopolis Police Department. For more information or to register for the next session, call the Demopolis Police Department at (334) 289-3073.

Two more Junior Police Academies are planned this summer. They’re June 21st through June 25th and August 16th through 20th. For applications head to rockfordil.gov

For the past eight weeks, these seventeen citizens from the Rockford area have spent two hours each Wednesday afternoon attending training sessions focused on educating citizens on the value of engagement in the public safety process. The citizens have learned about police related topics including Patrol and Investigative Services Bureau operations, 911 Center operations and the Mayors vision for the City, Community Policing, Crime Prevention, Drug and Gang awareness, Crime Analysis, Criminal Laws and City Ordinances, Identity Theft, and Organizing and Maintaining a Neighborhood Watch Group.

This is the third class to graduate from Rockford’s newly designed Citizens Police Academy. The program was designed to inform and educated citizens who would then return to their neighborhoods to organize, encourage and mobilize others to partner with the police to reduce crime in Rockford. The Citizens Police Academy is a required component for those citizens wishing to participate in the Citizens Assisting Police Volunteer Program, which was recently started by the Rockford Police Department.

The ceremony is Wednesday May 26, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

BACKGROUND
Introduced in March of 1994, the CPA graduated its first class of 41 members in June, 1994 (Class 94-01). As of December, 2009, there have been over 3000 graduates of the CPA program.
Due to such enthusiastic citizen response and interest, CPA classes are offered four times a year, with classes starting in January, April, July and September. Class size is limited to 40 persons. Admission to CPA is open to any San Antonio resident 18 or over, and all applicants are required to pass a thorough background check.
CPA GOALS
The goal of the CPA is to educate San Antonio citizens about the structure and activities of their police department. The CPA class is not a “training” class, but is an exciting “information” class, a behind- the-scenes look as the SAPD. The CPA program operates on the premise that informed and educated citizens will be more supportive of police officers and the department, and will be more productive within their own neighborhoods and communities.
CPA CLASSES
The 11-week CPA course meets one night each week for 3 hours. Classes are held at the San Antonio Police Training Academy on SE Loop 410. Topics covered in the CPA class include overviews of the SAPD organization and structure, information on cadet recruiting and training, introductions to the various divisions of SAPD and their responsibilities (such as Homicide, Traffic, and Narcotics), plus hands-on workshops in areas such as Tactics, Fingerprinting and Firearms Safety.

Instructors are drawn from the Police Academy staff, from officers currently assigned to specific SAPD divisions, and from non-SAPD agencies. CPA class members are also given an opportunity to observe police patrol work through a Ride- Along experience for one 8-hour shift with a district patrol officer.
CPA class members are given assignments in small committees to maintain snacks for breaks, to plan the graduation ceremony, and to gather information for photo and signing sessions. At the 11th class meeting, class members participate in a Graduation Ceremony, in which they receive a Certificate of Completion, and an opportunity to join with other graduates in the CPA Alumni Association.

Newport News police held police academy DUI training. Volunteers attended what appeared to be a typical office party – with finger foods, music, and lots of alcohol.

The 20 Newport News police recruits waited in the room next door, about to begin their police academy DUI training.

Six people volunteered to be picked up from home and taken to the academy to drink. Within two hours, each volunteer was given up to eight shots of 80 proof liquor – enough to put them well over the legal limit.

In the classroom the recruits are trained on what to look for during field sobriety tests, including bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and impaired movement.

Sgt. James Paddleford says this offers real life training on what to look for out on the road.

“There’s no difference between a person with a gun that is threatening somebody and somebody that gets behind the wheel and drives, so our department dedicates three to four days of training in the academy for the recruits to practice their DUIs,” Paddleford said.

About halfway through the night, blood alcohol levels were checked and recorded – then more liquor was poured.

Finally the recruits came in to put their knowledge to the test.

Recruit Danny Diaz passed his test.

Danny says he now knows what to do when he pulls a drunk driver over for the first time.

“I was expecting to just see it in motion, the eyes, but one thing I wasn’t expecting was to see the wobbling. I mean some people practice these things but you just can’t beat them,” said Danny Diaz.

All the volunteers were given a ride back home.