CPA hands on training
Imagine you are a police officer approaching what many people would deem to be a routine traffic stop. As you approach, you can hear a loud dispute taking place between a male driver and female passenger inside the stopped vehicle. Your attempts to calm the argument fail, and you ask the driver to step out of the vehicle. In a profanity-laced tirade, he aggressively confronts you. He yells at you and berates you while reaching into his pocket.
In seconds, you must determine if he is reaching for a weapon or something less sinister, such as a cell phone. That split-second decision may lead to devastating consequences for the victim, his family, yourself, your family, your police department and so many others.
Men and women in law enforcement agencies across the country face these types of circumstances every day. The New Albany Police Department is no different, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, respect and compassion to ensure that we are making sound decisions in every situation that we encounter.
We believe that by offering our community a behind-the-scenes look at the New Albany Police Department, we can strengthen relationships with the residents who we serve and give them a better understanding of the unique challenges that law enforcement face each day. That is why we set aside more than two months each year to host a Citizen Police Academy. This free interactive program takes participants on a nine-week journey of tabletop exercises and real-life scenarios that require split-second decision-making.
“I work an office job and I don’t get to see this kind of stuff ever,” 2023 class participant Dustin Keam says. “It’s very eye-opening, and it’s a great opportunity just to see a different perspective. Things can be calm one minute and chaotic the next, so you really have to be aware of all your surroundings. You have to be aware of the laws and how they affect your actions. It’s a lot to take in and a lot to process in a matter of seconds, which police have to deal with every day.”
Taught by New Albany Police Department personnel, instruction has been designed to inform residents about topics including emergency dispatch operations, control and arrest tactics, drug enforcement, shoot/don’t shoot judgment scenarios, and crime scene investigation, and provide opportunities for engagement and community input.
This past March, 23 community members graduated from the program. They came from all
walks of a life and professions – homemakers, engineers and elected officials to name a few – but they all finished with a new appreciation for what our officers experience and a stronger connection to our department.
“It is a great way to meet the officers in our community and develop some relationships with other members of our community,” 2022 class participant Diana Jacobs says. “I’ve made some friends in the class that hopefully I’ll keep up with afterwards, and also I think it’s just quite honestly been a lot of fun.”
At the New Albany Police Department, we are very fortunate to serve and protect an extremely supportive community. We do our best to earn that support each day. I encourage you to join us in future editions of the Citizen Police Academy and see for yourself what makes our profession so vital and what makes our relationships with the community so special.
Greg Jones is the chief of the New Albany Police Department.
