Cortez Police Department is hosting another year of its Citizens Academy, which returns early September and runs for six weeks. The course provides residents an inside look at local policing where there’s hands-on learning activities in a variety of public safety topics.
The class is scheduled to run every Thursday starting Sept. 3 and running through Oct. 8. Sessions last from 6-8 p.m. at the Cortez Police Department at 608 North Park Street in Cortez.
Sign-up is required for those interested, who can learn more or register online at crimewatch.net/l/228799.
There is no cost to join the course that is open to the public, though the class size is limited to 20 participants.
Each weekly session focuses on an avenue of police work, including viewing officer body-worn camera footage, touring the Dispatch Center and learning about drug activity awareness or how crime scenes are processed.
The list of scheduled topics consist of:
An hour of each class is committed to classroom-style learning while the second hour is designated for some type of hands-on activity. All physical involvement is optional based on the participant’s comfort level, according to a police department news release.
Participants must be 18 years old and are required to go through a vetting process before application approval, the release stated.
“We hope this academy continues to be a meaningful experience for both participants and our staff. It is a special opportunity to see how your local police department operates and to connect with the people who serve our community,” the release stated.
Last year, the academy involved roughly the same format. Among many things, participants watched bodycam footage, heard perspectives and stories from a mix of CPD officers and detectives and learned about common roadside checks for perceived impaired drivers.
Reader Comments