b_rider

I was taking a class with the Sioux City Police Dept. It is called Citizens Academy.
It is a condensed training and learning course for any regular citizen that wants to volunteer to take it. It does not cost anything to take the class. The requirments for it are you have ot be a Sioux City area resident and you can not have any kind of felony conviction, or serious misdomeanor on your record or any warrants out for your arrest.

The class is a total of 12 weeks long, for 4 hours every Thursday night, the first week is orientation and the last is graduation. The class I was in is number 15 and this is the 9th year of the program. There are only 24 people allowed to take the class each session. There are 2 sessions a year, spring and fall. The class is not pass or fail. It is designed to teach regular citizens what the police dept. does and how they work, at least here in Sioux City. During the 12 weeks of the class you are encouraged but not required to do a ride-a-long with a police officer and sit in the communications center and listen to the calls that come in. My ride-a-long is tonight. Can't wait.

Last night was our last class, next thursday is graduation. Let me tell you it has been an interesting 10 weeks. I have a whole other perspective on what the SCPD does. These men and women have a very tough job. I have always had a respect for the law, now that respect is even greater and stronger then ever before. the class has been fun and very educational. There has been a lot of laughing and some crying even.

Here is a basic course outline on what we learned:
(Any questions please ask)

Organizational chart and values
Mission Statement
Volunteers In Policing program, V.I.P. (I am involved in this program with the SCPD.)
(class room)

Unifrom patrol
Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, S.T.E.P.
Dept. Accreditation
Alcohol Safety Action Program, A.S.A.P
(class room)

Legalities of arrest
Use of force, defensive tactics, chemical weapons
(hands on)

Community Action Support Team, C.A.S.T., during ht espring the C.A.S.T. officers are on bikes patrolling their districts.
Crime prevention, prevention programs, crime stoppers and Drug Abuse Resistance Education, D.A.R.E.
Youth bureau, yout crime.
Liason program
(class room)

General investigations, property crimes.
Special Investigations Unit, S.I.U.
Criminalistics, fingerprinting & AFIS, evidence collecting.
(class room)

Special Emergency Reponse Team, S.E.R.T., same thing as S.W.A.T. just a differant name.
Hostage negotiations.
(hands on and class room)

K-9, building searches, traffic stops
(hands on)

General investigations, sexual abuse, child abuse, homicide.
Criminalistics, crime scene investigations, case profiling
(class room)

Firearms training.
Driving instruction.
(hands on)

All of the hands on was done at the regional training center. Part of the class room was done there and part was done at the Police and Fire Headquarters building.

This pretty much covers the entire SCPD. Like I said it was a condensed trainign and learning class. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot from it. The things that bothered me the most was seeing the pictures of the abused children. A few class members broke down in tears because of it. They were very disturbing to see. More so then the homicide pictures.

One thing some of you may be wondering about that is not directly mentioned above is our Vice Unit. Yes we have one. We went out and sat in van and watched a prostitution sting take place. This was the only time during the class we saw a actual arrest happen. This was not staged it was real.

As I said any questions pleas ask and I will answer them. You may want to check and see if your local PD offers a class like this. You will get a lot out of it.

Spinarooni

Cops suck.

phoenyix

My Police Dept has the samething, And they also have Police riding around town on Bicycles, instead of using alot of police cars. They found they can provide better service that way for a lower cost. By using both cars and Bicycles.

Inkwolf

That class sounds cool. I wonder why convicts can't take it--are they afraid they'll learn too much about the way the police work?

I don't think the local cops have anythign like that...they do have a program called "Beat the Heat" where the cop cars drag race local teenagers.....

orguasch

well not in our case the police here in Toronto always "over react" , I really mean that they will tend to over react, I comming home from work last night and as soon as I step out of the subway to catch my bus, I saw six Prowl car with about tuwelve cops and and One Teenager with hand cups at his behind, now tell me if this is not an over kill on the part of the Police, and just tell me that I am just having a negative vibes with them

Plate

Yeah sounds like over reactoiin by the cops
But who are you to say the kid wasn't armed to the teeth?:confused:

orguasch

Plate,
They should be going after organized Crime and syndicate people who pry on Run away kids, not the petty criminal, I Notice you live at North West Territories, Hope your not having the same problem as the Toronto Police we Have here.

Plate

No thankfully not. The only problem we have up here is all the drunks. With out them are police force would have nothing to do. The nearest thing to organized crime we have is drug dealers.

bentboy

B-rider, will you be riding your own bike on patrol or one of theirs? Do you wear a uniform, any weapons or a badge? Any type of hand held radio comunications?

orguasch

Yes, but if drug dealers are not fix early it will erode the very core of Society, back in th old Country Where I came from drug dealers are treated as scum of society and as such they are thrown to the gutter like a a dead rat, and I am not speaking figuratively they are really thrown at the gutter dead and really dead , our laws in Canada is I don't know????

b_rider

No, the volunteering I do with/for the SCPD is not a law enforcment role at all. As a Trailbazer, this is what the volunteer program is called that I volunteer for, all I do is ride, or walk the bike trails as the eyes and ears of the SCPD. If there is any trouble or problem that requires any sort of police, fire or EMT attention I determine if it is a emergency and either call 911 or the none emergency number. I also offer assitance to cyclists who need help with minor mechanical things. And I do know CPR and first aid.

When I am volunteering I wear a polo shirt that has the Volunteers In Policing, V.I.P. and the Trailblazers logo on it as well as a bike helmet that only has the Trailblazers logo on it for when I ride on the trails. I also have a I.D. badge I carry on me as well, in case I am asked for proof that I am a volunteer Trailblazer.

As far as weapons are concerned. The only thing I carry is pepper spray. I could also legally carry a tazer without a permit, but I do not. If I wanted to carry a gun I could, but with the proper permit of course. But again I don't own or carry a gun. For communications I have a cell phone, with the non-emergency number already programed in to it.

There are bikes available to me to ride. But I prefere to ride my own. It is my choice though.

Hope this answers your questions. Any more please ask.