Brownwood Police Department will host their annual Citizen’s Police Academy at the end of this month and are currently accepting applications from those interested in attending. An exact date for the academy will be set in the near future.
Brownwood Chief of Police Mike Corley explained the reason it is important to the department to host the Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA).
“As most of you know, I am committed to operating a transparent police department. In addition, I want the Brownwood Police Department to be good partners with our community,” said Corley in a recent email announcing the academy.
The next CPA class will start toward the end of January (2016), Corley stated. Although the exact date has not been set, the first class is likely to start on the last Tuesday in January. The classes will run for eleven Tuesday nights and one Saturday. The Saturday class is about three or four hours and is conducted at the shooting range. “A great time will be had by all at the range,” assured Corley.
Corley stated that there are many reasons BPD hosts the Citizen’s Police Academy.
“One of the primary reasons is transparency. We want you (the public) to know how your police department is run and how your tax dollars are spent. We open up our doors to the students. There are no unanswered questions and there are no secrets. We want the students to learn police techniques and on a more basic front: find out why police officers do the things they do,” said Corley. “We want the students to use police equipment. For instance, we will have you dusting for fingerprints, using a radar gun, watching a taser demo, and shooting a variety of firearms, just to name a few. We also want the students to ride patrol with our officers. We want the students to experience what our officers experience on a regular duty shift in Brownwood, Texas. Students will probably see Brownwood as they have never seen it before.”
Below is a basic schedule from the last CPA class BPD offered. This schedule may change some, according to Corley who stated adjustments may be made for instructors:
(Each class is 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
Week 1 Introductions, tour of the facility, and Chief’s Philosophy (Chief Corley)
Week 2 Patrol & Uniform Operations
Week 3 Investigations
Week 4 Traffic Enforcement/Accident Investigation/DWI & Public Intoxication
Week 5 Dispatch/911/Tour of the County Jail
Week 6 Family Violence/Officer Safety/Use of Force
Week 7 Student Resource Officer/Crime Prevention/Mental Health Issues
Week 8 Municipal Court/Drugs/Drug Investigations
Week 9 Fire Marshall Duties/Code Enforcement
Week 10 Internal Affairs & Ethics (Chief Corley)
Week 11 Graduation
The Saturday class held at the shooting range will be scheduled when officials note a good weather weekend, typically around week 8, said Corley.
After the ride-along sessions start, Corley stated that each class will begin with students talking about their experiences during their ride-alongs with BPD officers.
“We try to use as many different officers teaching classes as possible. We also have several ‘guest’ instructors from different areas such as prosecutors, and social agencies that we work with,” stated Corley. “I encourage all of our citizens to consider attending the Citizen’s Police Academy. I promise it will be an experience you will remember and appreciate for a long time.”
Brownwood Police Department asks interested citizens to fill out an application which can be picked up at the Brownwood Police Department, located at 1050 W. Commerce. CLICK HERE for an from BPD’s website. Completed applications may be returned to the Brownwood Police Department in person or mailed to the address above.
To form a class, BPD must have at least fifteen students. For more information or questions, please contact Chief Corley or Assistant Chief Fuller at 646-2525.
