The Citizens Police Academy, which was popular with St. Bernard Parish residents before the hurricane and is designed to open lines of communications between them and the Sheriff’s Office, will be restarted, with a class open for signing up, Sheriff Jack Stephens said.
Residents interested in participating in the free program which gives a first-hand look at the rules, regulations and policies the police and court system follow, can call sheriff’s Crime Prevention Director Capt. Charles Borchers at (504) 278-7628.
The starting date for the program, which would be held every Wednesday night at Nunez Community College for about 10 weeks, hasn’t been set.
Several hundred St. Bernard residents are alumni of the Citizens Police Academy, which was started in the early 2000s and had its largest ever class going at the time Hurricane Katrina struck.
“It’s great for learning about the inner workings of the Sheriff’s Office and court system,’’ said St. Bernard Chief Deputy Sheriff Deputy James Pohlmann. “It’s intended to open lines of communications and create better relations between police and residents, in a situation where they can meet face-to-face in a friendly setting.’’
“The objective isn’t to train people to be reserve police officers but to produce informed residents,’’ Pohlmann said.
Borchers, who heads the Neighborhood Watch program as part of his duties as Crime Prevention officer, said the Citizens Police Academy is another way to expand the Sheriff’s Office’s community-based efforts.
The dividend it pays, Borchers said, is crime prevention improves when residents feel they have a good relationship with police and know they can report suspicious activity they see to the Sheriff’s Office and an officer will come to investigate.
As evidenced by the numerous shows about law enforcement on television over the years, the role of police and the courts has always been of interest to the average resident of a community, Borchers said.
Citizens Police Academy addresses that interest people have in how officers do their work and what happens as criminal cases go to court, he said.
“In the past citizens may have simply seen a uniform, but now they have a chance to see the people behind the badge,’’ Borchers said.
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