The City of Covington Police Department (CPD) held a spring citizens academy class this past month. This was the sixth class put on by the department since the inception of the program.
The CPD Citizens Academy was created in order to give the residents and corporate citizen’s of Covington a chance to see, understand and interact with the inner workings of the Covington Police Department. Participants learned about the available services, resources and programs offered by the department. More importantly, participants met and interacted with the men and women who provide these services. Specifically, sessions covered the structure of the police department, patrol functions, criminal investigations, specialized units, firearms training, use of force and use of force considerations. Classes were a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and interactive activities.
Participation in the program was free. Applicants were required to be 18 years of age and had to provide their own transportation to and from training. Acceptance into the program was subject to review by the academy staff of the applicant’s background, including a criminal history inquiry.
Participants in this program met for six weeks on Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. at the police department mainly. The firearms training was held at the police department’s gun range on a Saturday, including a family cookout for all participants. Also during the course of the program, participants were required, at their convenience, to complete at least two hours of police “ride alongs.” This provided one-on-one interaction with a police officer, on patrol, answering calls.
A graduation ceremony was held April 17. The participants were brought before the Covington City Council during a meeting and introduced, receiving their certificate. A dinner was provided to all participants after the meeting at a local restaurant.
If you have interest in the program contact program coordinator Lt. Wendell Wagstaff at 770-385-2147 or email at wendell.wagstaff@covingtonpolice.com
