The city of Idaho Falls wants the public to know more about the work its officers do and invites them to apply for the free, nine-week Citizen’s Police Academy.
"A lot of people don't really know how policing works or they don't know what's really going on, they have some ideas or perceptions based on what they see on the news or if they see police officers driving around,” said Jessica Clements, the public information officer for the Idaho Falls Police Department, “but what this program does is really gives people an in-depth look at lots of different aspects of the policing career. And then those people can go out and be more educated about the realities of policing, the limitations of police agencies and what's going on in our communities.”
Clements says the nine-week course focuses on different topics each week like crime scene investigations, the layout of the new building of the police department and even car maneuvers. This helps open up the community for the roles the police department serves and helps to debunk preconceived notions and more about law enforcement.
“When the class is over, we hope that anyone who's participated in the class, if they're exploring a law enforcement career, that they feel ready to make those decisions. And if they are just in the class to learn more about the community, that they feel like they are empowered with that knowledge and ready to go out and be a positive impact on our community,” Clements said.
For more information or to register, click here.