LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 1:54PM LAKE AREA CITIZEN’S ACADEMY
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION
On February 1, 2012 the Osage Beach Police Department, along with Lake Ozark, Linn Creek, Camdenton Police Departments, and the Camden County Sheriff’s Department will be sponsoring a joint Citizen’s Academy. The academy will be limited to 20 individuals who reside within the sponsoring jurisdictions. The academy is approximately eight weeks long with one meeting per week, weather permitting. Inclement weather dates have been scheduled. Classes will be held on the Camdenton School RIII Campus. Participants must be at least 21 years of age and be willing to submit to a background check. All applications must be submitted by January 15, 2012.
What is the Citizens Police Academy?
The role of Police has always been an interest to the average Citizen. The television media has capitalized upon this curiosity with shows such as “Cops,” “America’s Most Wanted,” and “Stories of the Highway Patrol.” Numerous Police Agencies have benefited from the curiosity that citizens have about the police.
Area agencies have formed Citizen’s Academy programs that create an expansion of their community-based efforts. These programs are intended to open the lines of communication between the Community and Law Enforcement.
To the Citizen, it may frequently appear that the police are not doing their job or are exceeding their boundaries. By allowing citizens a firsthand look at what rules, regulations and policies the police follow, some of the misunderstanding may be alleviated. Citizen Academies have been conducted by various individual agencies in the past but we feel that by conducting a multi-jurisdictional academy we will be able to reach citizens throughout the lake area.
The objective of the Citizen’s Academy is not to train an individual to be a “Reserve Police Officer” but to produce informed citizens. The Citizens and Police Officers meet each other face to face in a neutral, friendly setting and each becomes a person to the other. In the past, citizens have simply seen a uniform and a gun. Citizens can have an understanding about the person behind the badge and the jurisdiction for which they work. Other topics of interest will be addressed.
