Sign Up For The Owensboro Police Department Citizens’ Academy
A few years ago, I participated in a ride-along with the Owensboro Police Department. It was a requirement for the Leadership Owensboro program.
Keeping it real here, my only prior experience with law enforcement had been when I reported a laptop and purse stolen out of my car, the time I ran out of gas in downtown Owensboro when my son was a toddler, and when I got pulled over for speeding in the WBKR jeep. Oopsie! The sun was in my eyes!
I'm the type of person who gets anxious when I hear a police siren in a song. Are they coming after me? Wait, what did I do? So, I had no idea what to expect as I got into the police vehicle to begin the evening of my ride-along. As soon as the car was on, we got our first call. A train vs. vehicle situation, yikes!
Once that was resolved, we spent the evening driving around his designated area responding to calls for arguments at gas stations, apartments, and folks loitering. We did not go looking for people to "get them in trouble." The officer was compassionate in his decision-making and helped resolve conflicts in a respectful and fair manner.
When is the Next Owensboro Police Department Citizens' Academy?
You can learn a lot when you open yourself up to new experiences. That's why the Owensboro Police Department offers a Citizens' Academy that will return for sessions on August 21st. There is one evening class each week for nine weeks, and each class is three hours long.
What Do You Do at The Owensboro Citizens' Police Academy?
According to the OPD website, the course schedule may include the following subjects/events:
- Tour of OPD Headquarters
- Patrol Operations
- Hiring Process
- Training
- Accreditation
- Professional Standards
- Criminal Investigations
- Polygraph
- Narcotics
- Hazardous Material Recovery
- D.U.I. – portable breath test/intoxilyzer
- Arrest/Handcuffing Procedures
- Officer Safety
- Dispatch – Codes & Signals
- Street Crimes – Surveillance Equipment, Undercover Operations
- OPD Firing Range ��� Firearms Demonstration
- Emergency Response Team – Dynamic Entry, Rappelling
- K-9 Officer – Training, Capabilities, Demonstration
How to Sign Up For The Owensboro Police Department Citizens' Academy
You will also participate in role-playing certain scenarios for a hands-on interactive education. A ride-along is also optional. I highly recommend it. I have always wanted to do the Citizens' Academy. I'm not sure I'll be able to catch this one, but if you participate, let me know so I can live vicariously through you! Just follow this link to sign up.
Never Have I Ever: Owensboro Edition
Gallery Credit: Dave Spencer
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