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“It’s an opportunity to see how your local police department works, as well as the opportunity to meet of some of the officers,” said Mike Oler, commander of the program. “While you get to see the inner workings of our police department, you also get a feel of police work in general … you get to see what law enforcement is all about.”
The Citizen Police Academy started in 2004 when Oler was hired as a part-time communications liaison for the department. Oler didn’t know how sustainable the academy would be for the township. The Citizen Police Academy’s popularity has grown and over the past few years, Oler said, “As soon as I graduated one (class) I get people calling before we even announce anything, ‘When’s the next academy?’ That’s just amazing.”
Fairfield Twp. Trustee Shannon Hartkemeyer, a graduate of the Citizens Police Academy, said it a way for residents to learn more about policing in their community “and about how they can help make our community even stronger.”
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“I learned so much, and not just about the Fairfield Twp. Police but police work as it extends to many other aspects,” she said.
The recommended classes size is 15 people, but there are no hard limitations, Oler said. They’ve conducted classes with as few as a dozen people and as many as 24. Most years there’s just one class per year, but if the interest is high, a second class will be added during the year. They also offer academies for groups, churches, organizations and businesses. It’s also not limited to just township residents or people who work in the township, Oler said.
“People really like it,” he said. “They want to learn more and more. So, it doesn’t matter who’s running it. It’s all about law enforcement.”
In addition to learning about the department, class members learn about other aspects of law enforcement, including hearing from judges and someone from the county prosecutor’s office.
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“Overall, you get to see what law enforcement is all about,” Oler said. “It can be a complicated process.”
Hartkemeyer said a participant’s time isn’t over when the 10-week class ends.
“You can further serve the community with our Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association,” she said. “You’re going to learn so much more about how things work, and how you can personally make a difference in your community. It’s an opportunity for everyone to get involved.”
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