Citizens learn the ins and outs of police work

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By Travis Walker

For those who have wondered how and when police officers use their weapons or are trained to respond in dangerous situations, UK Police has a program that should give some answers.

From Feb. 17 to March 14, UK Police will host the fifth annual Citizen Police Academy. The Academy is a seven- to eight-week course consisting of a three-hour class each week designed for citizens to learn about the daily work of law enforcement personnel.

“What we’re striving to do is having the university community have a better understanding of what UK Police does,” said Interim UK Police Chief Maj. Joe Monroe.

The topics covered in the academy include criminal procedure, K-9 operations, firearms and use of force, according to the academy’s Web site.

Monroe said the class sessions are a combination of lectures and interactive training. He said the firearms class, for example, includes an interactive training DVD.

Chris Franklin, the UK Student Center security and operations coordinator, is married to a UK police officer and was a student in the first police academy during fall of 2007. She said the academy gave her a broader understanding of what police do on a regular basis.

She stressed that police should also be used as a tool to prevent crime, not just when things go badly.

“I think on the whole we don’t think about using them as a resource, we think about using them when something goes wrong,” Franklin said.

Isaiah Terry, a Spanish senior who took the course at the same time as Franklin, said the academy gave him a better appreciation for police work.

“It really gave you an insight into what kind of job they have,” Terry said.

Terry said when he took the course there were only the people who graduated with him, but the upcoming Citizen Police Academy had space for 25 people and there are 27 signed up for it. Monroe said this is because they try to overfill them because some people do not end up finishing.

Monroe said the academy is intended to help the community understand what police do.

“Our main goal is to knock down any communication barriers,” Monroe said.