Police Academy affords citizens close look at how local law enforcement works

This year's graduating class of the Rochester Police Academy. (Courtesy photo)

The Rochester Police Department graduated participants of its eighth annual Citizen's Police Academy recently.

The academy seeks to acquaint each participant in the academy with all facets of police work, including hands-on training, dispatch observations and ride-a-longs with police officers during the 11-week program.

The graduates also got a chance to see what Police Officers, Detectives, Dispatchers, Prosecutors and Juvenile Diversion in Rochester do on a day to day basis. This included learning about the different divisions and the specialty units, such as forensics, SWAT, accident reconstruction and School Resource Officers (just to name a few). The graduates also got to experience the department's computerized simulator as well as the indoor shooting range.

This program is intended to open the lines of communication between the Community and the Police Department. By allowing citizens a firsthand look at what rules, regulations and policies the police follow, it provides them with a better understanding of police work and the Rochester Police Department. The objective of the Citizen Police Academy is to produce informed citizens and create improved relationships with the community and its citizen's.

The Rochester Police Department next academy will begin in March 2020.