Wednesday, February 09, 2000
Hamilton citizens get a feel for police work
BY DAVID ECK
Enquirer Contributor
HAMILTON — Residents can get an in-depth look at the police department and experience an officer's job at the second citizen's police academy class.
The academy runs March 1 to May 3, and classes will meet Wednesdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Another class is planned for the fall.
The academy, open to those who live and work in Hamilton, will include a review of various department operations, the jail, Hamilton Municipal Court, the juvenile detention center and law. Classes will be taught by Hamilton officers and occasional guests. Students will spend time riding with a police officer on duty. The classes will cover crime prevention, investigation and traffic enforcement.
The academy is intended to create a better relationship between the police department and the community.
“Any time you have positive interaction between officers and citizens, you develop a better understanding through communication,” Police Officer Don Taylor said. “Most interaction with the police department is negative and we're looking for more of the positive. We're trying to say there's a better side of law enforcement.”
The academy graduated its first class in December, and participants say it gave them a new appreciation of the department.
“You have an entirely different view of the police department and what they do,” said Mary Sparks of Hamilton. “They didn't avoid any question that we asked. It was really an overall picture of everything coming and going.”
Mrs. Sparks admitted she was skeptical about the department before attending the academy. “I really wanted to know what these officers did for the money we pay them,” she said. “My whole view of them changed. It was more than I expected.”
Said Police Chief Neil Ferdelman: “We wanted people to get a good, hard, in-depth look and draw their own conclusions. We want to be a part of rather than apart from the community. Anything we can do to get closer to the community and help the community get closer to us, the better off we are.”
TO REGISTER
To register for the Hamilton Police Department's Citizen Police Academy, call 868-5811, Ext. 2007.
Application forms also can be printed from the department's Web site: www.hamilton-city.org/police.
Registration deadline is Feb. 21, and there is a $25 fee to attend the academy.
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