Above: Ride along and learn how to Book ’em Dano! Don’t worry, you won’t be charged. (photos by Susan Fitzgerald)
Southborough residents are invited to get a free lesson in Town policing. The SPD will be holding a Citizens Police Academy this spring.
The 8 class course will run on Wednesday evenings beginning April 19th.* It will be run by SPD and emergency personnel.
The academy is open to anyone aged 18 and older (subject to a background check), but capped at 20 students.
Apply soon, since applicants will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. The final cutoff for applying is April 12th.
In the spirit of community policing, Chief Kenneth Paulhus hopes the academy will help strengthen his department’s relationship with residents. (It’s certainly in keeping with SPD’s motto “Policing Our Community . . . Together!”)
He informed selectmen that similar academies have been held successfully across the country. And he wrote that the last time the SPD held on was “in the early part of the decade”.
Here is the announcement:
The Southborough Police Department is pleased to announce the start of a Citizens Police Academy. The Academy will run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., for eight consecutive Wednesday’s, beginning April 19, 2017.
The Citizen Police Academy is designed to familiarize citizens with the operation and functions of the Southborough Police Department and Communications Center. Classes will cover various topics such as Criminal Law, Patrol Procedures, Evidence Collection, Domestic Violence, Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Court Procedures, and Use of Force. Additionally, participants will complete a two hour police ride along, and a tour of the Worcester County Jail. The ride along will allow each student to observe Police Officers while on patrol. Classes will be taught by Southborough Police Staff, Supervisors, and Emergency Dispatch Personnel.
There is no charge to attend. Applicants must be eighteen years old, and a resident of Southborough. The class is limited to twenty participants. Applications may be picked up at the Southborough Police Department, 19 Main Street, or at the Town House, 17 Common Street. Applications can also be downloaded on the Southborough Police website, www.southboroughpd.com. You may also request an application packet by contacting Officers Jake Woodford or Aaron Richardson at 508-485-2121. The deadline for application submittal will be April 12, 2017.
Click here to open an application. For some more detail click here for the draft lesson plan schedule.
*Reminder, April 19th is the week of April break in Southborough public schools. Participants are expected to attend that first night (as well as committing to trying to attend all nights.)
In fact, Selectwoman Bonnie Phaneuf asked Chief Paulhus to replace anyone who doesn’t attend the first session with the next person on the wait list. (That’s assuming there is a wait list.)
I attend an 8-week session many years ago. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience plus learned a great deal about the police department, law enforcement in general and the policemen in particular. Also saw first hand the deplorable conditions of the police station (certainly has not improved since then — if anything, much worse).