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02/01/2023 07:24 AMIt has been three long years since the Guilford Police Department (GPD) last attempted to sponsor its Citizen’s Police Academy. Department officials are excited to announce the return of its Academy class, starting on March 23.
Sgt. Martina Jakober, the Department’s Crime Prevention Coordinator and one of the course instructors, said the Citizens Police Academy provides a hands-on opportunity to educate the citizens of Guilford on GPD operations while obtaining valuable feedback from citizens to enhance police and community relations.
“In the past, we’ve had people who weren’t quite sure what to expect from the class, and after when we received feedback, they tell us they can’t wait to take it again,” Jakober said. “We have had repeat attendees, and every year we also try to provide something new. Ever since I’ve been part of the program, we have had a full class. It is a great opportunity for us as a Department to display to the community how we do what we do. People take the class for a variety of reasons; some people are curious about law enforcement in general, [and] some are curious about where their tax dollars go. There are different reasons, but I find this course to be a great opportunity to have a very direct dialogue with the community.”
According to Jakober, the 10-week Citizens Police Academy includes over 30 hours of instruction taught in three-hour sessions every Thursday evening.
“The Citizen’s Academy affords an opportunity for residents to know what is happening in and around town. It helps people learn how to navigate some of the crimes they might see down the road and perhaps avoiding becoming victims. And it also allows folks to understand how we investigate crimes. Most people’s only experience with law enforcement is watching CSI or a crime show, and that 45-minute show doesn’t really portray what it is we do day in and day out,” Jakober said. “These conversations are very helpful. The folks who take this class bring that experience back to their families, back to their friends, and back to their neighbors. It’s a fun and entertaining course, and the responses and feedback we get confirm that.”
Jakober said the training includes interactive classroom participation, a department overview, elements of crimes, laws, a range day, and a patrol ride-a-long. Both state and federal agencies, including the FBI, will be presenting during the Academy to provide an overview of how these agencies all work together and rely on each other to investigate and solve crimes.
“In addition to our own agency, we are also bringing members of the State Police, and this year we have someone from the FBI coming in,” said Jakober. “Having our local community understand how we work and interact with federal agencies and when those agencies might be called in and what they do when they are called in is just part of what we want residents to know.”
According to Jakober, the learning is a two-way street for the Department, as they often are provided with information and ideas from students participating in the program.
“We get a lot of growth out of it as an agency because we actually learn ourselves as well. In one of the very first classes I taught, there was a gentleman who told me about being in Ohio and said he had noticed that a police department out there had an internet exchange location out in front of their police department. And he took a picture of it, sent it to me, and asked if we could do something similar. And I said sure,” Jakober said. “We were the first police department in Connecticut to have an internet exchange site, and it was because of that class. It was a brilliant idea that someone had, and it shows that we learn as much as the participants. We really enjoy having these great conversations and to be able to do this and in such a positive environment and with such a diverse group of citizens.”
Guilford Chief of Police Butch Hyatt said the course has multiple levels of return for participants and the officers under his charge.
“Bringing in people of all ages and backgrounds from the community to educate them in how our Department operates is extremely important. After taking the course, these folks can eventually become ambassadors for the Department. This course hopefully provides a better understanding in the community of the police department. The feedback we have gotten from people has been always been very positive,” said Hyatt. “Sometimes there’s a mystery at what happens inside at a police department, but there really isn’t a mystery. That is why it is important for us to be able to show people and engage with people in what we do and how we do it.”
Classes are free to attend and will be held every Thursday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. at GPD's Community Room located at 400 Church Street.
Interested residents can apply by contacting Sgt. Jakober or Officer Scott Gingras in the Crime Prevention Unit at 203-453-8061 or email at jakoberm@guilfordct.gov.
Applications will be at the Department, on our Facebook Page, and on the GPD website guilfordpd.com The application deadline is Wednesday, March 1. The class size is limited to 30 people, and participants are encouraged to sign up early. Participants must be Guilford residents and 16 years of age or older; 16- and 17-year-old participants must have written permission from a parent or guardian to participate. A standard background check will be completed on each applicant.