Danbury Police Department offering Citizen Police Academy
The Danbury Police Department is offering their 19th Citizen Police Academy for
Danbury residents and those who work in the city. The Academy was established in the mid-90s to educate the public about how the police department operates and to dispel misconceptions of police work derived from sensationalist media account.
The 10-week course begins on Wednesday, March 22 and will take place every Wednesday thereafter from 7:30pm to 9pm in the new police headquarters building.
Currently, the department is looking for five more individuals to join the Academy.
The Academy is valuable both to the public and to the police department. Citizens are able to see what the job of an officer is really like—and the relationships that are forged between the officers and their students offer greater insight and regard for the community.
Browne said that past students have enjoyed the program, gaining a different perspective of police work while having fun. Teaching the public is gratifying for the officers, and a greater sense of respect and value between officers and the community enhances the department as a whole.
“Movies and TV show a different side of police work,” said Lieutenant John Browne in a phone interview.
“They show shoot-outs or some sort of glorified scene. There’s a lot of paperwork, training and legwork that you don’t see. At the Academy, they [students] see the true side of police work.”
Browne has been with the department for 22 years and recalls a lot of interest from the public at the Academy’s inception. Interest has tapered off in recent years, something that Browne attributes to the old police building, which was limited in size and space.
He is hoping that the new headquarters will reignite that excitement, now that there is plenty of room for programs such as the Academy.
The course includes classes on the penal code, laws of arrest, crime scene conduct and defensive tactics.
Students will have an opportunity to participate in Shoot-Don’t-Shoot, a firearms training simulator that allows users to assume the role of a police officer at a crime scene, where they must decide whether or not to fire their gun.
“The situation might be domestic violence, and they may have to use their weapon,” Browne said. “Then it might be the same situation of domestic violence with a different outcome, and they don’t have to use their weapon.”
Each Academy session is different, as changes in law enforcement arise, and the upcoming session is unique in that it will offer classes on Tasers and the recently passed 287-g program, which created a partnership between Danbury police and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Students will also have an opportunity to participate in a one night “ridealong” program and accompany a shift officer on the job.
So far, those enrolled include employees from City Hall, the courthouse and various local businesses.
Those who are interested in attending the Academy can contact Lt. Browne at (203)797-4577 or by email at j.browne@ci.danbury.ct.us. Deadline for applications is March 15th.
