Citizens Police Academy to resume March 2

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

 

After an almost three-year hiatus, the Copperas Cove Police Department will hold the 31st session of the Copperas Cove Citizens Police Academy, with the first class starting on Thursday, March 2 and the class culminating with a graduation ceremony on May 4.

 

The classes will take place weekly at the Copperas Cove Police Department from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Registration is ongoing now for the free class and is open to local residents.

 

The Citizens Police Academy is designed to give the community insight into the day-to-day operations of all facets of the public safety enforcement. According to a press release from Sgt. Martin Ruiz with the CCPD, the only time most law-abiding citizens have contact with the police is when they’re stopped for a traffic violation, which can leave them with a limited view of what their local law enforcement agency is really doing other than enforcing traffic laws, and responding to situations that have already occurred.

 

The Citizens Police Academy is a 10-week course during which participants learn about scenarios that the police department handles, from traffic stop procedures to crime scene investigation, as well as weapons and SWAT team, narcotics and more.

 

“These situations are staged for the benefit of the participant and it is through these mock scenes that they get exposure to what it is actually like to be ‘on the other side of the fence’ as the officer responding in the scenario,” Ruiz said.

 

One of the highlights of past classes has been the chance to go to a “range day” with the officers and have the chance to spend a morning at the firing range. Ruiz is still in the process of completing the schedule of classes, which in the past have been presented by various officers of the department.

 

The department asks for a 10-week commitment when taking the course, and participants are allowed to miss up to three classes during that time period and still graduate at the end of the session.

 

Graduates of the CPA sometimes go on to join community service groups such as the Copperas Cove Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association as well as the Citizens Public Safety and Fire Volunteers Association. Both groups continue to volunteer support of the police and fire departments, although their academy graduations are long a thing of the past.

 

Anne Holley, who along with her husband, Chuck, are alumni of Class 1 of the Citizens Police Academy, are still actively volunteering, and Anne weighed in about what taking the course did for her, years ago.

 

“You go into the class with one set of eyes and you come out with a different set of eyes,” Holley said. “You look at things differently than you did before. You start to take notice of things in your neighborhoods. You spot things you did not see before, and if something goes down, you’ll call the police. When before, you didn’t even notice them.”

 

Holley added that the course will also give insight as to not only what officers do, but why they do what they do.

 

“Even when they approach you, there’s a reason for that. That reason will be explained in the class, for instance. Everybody gets down on the police, ‘Why is he doing this? Why can’t I get out of the car?’ That’s what they’ll learn through the class. Every one of us experienced the hands-on mock situations. The 10 weeks will go by fast.”

 

Those who are interested in enrolling in the course should contact Sgt. Martin Ruiz at 254-547-8222 ext. 6956 or mruiz@copperascovetx.gov for further information. Applications are also available at the Police Department or on the city’s website www.copperascovetx.gov