BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- The Covington Police Department has brought home another national award for its community relations work.
The department's Citizens Police Academy can now be called the best in the country, named by the National Citizens Police Academy Association.
Capt. Gary Kiser, who runs the twice-a-year classes, picked up the honor last week at a conference in Little Rock, Ark.
"I think it has definitely promoted a better understanding of the department in the community," he said Tuesday of the local academy, which has graduated almost 100 residents.
Capt. Kiser, 45, has been a member of the department almost 21 years. He was named coordinator of the year at last week's conference, the first for the Gainesville, Texas, organization aimed at encouraging citizens academies around the country to share ideas.
The national organization learned of Covington's program through Capt. Kiser's application to the conference.He described the 10-week program and its ending field trip to the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport's firing range, where students get to use a firearms training simulator.
Judges liked that idea, he said, because it showed the program does not focus only on lectures.
Covington started its program in fall 1995 after Chief Al Bosse took over the department.
Capt. Kiser did not know about the award until he was in the middle of the conference's Thursday night dinner and heard his department's name called.
The award was the second bestowed upon the department's community relations bureau in two weeks.
Michelle Robinson, who helps run the Police Activities League, was honored May 29 as Volunteer Woman of the Year by the National Association of Police Athletic Leagues.
She goes far beyond just helping out, the national association said, taking a deep interest in the city's kids and encouraging them to give back to their community.
