After eight weeks of one class a week, the few students of the Citizens Law Enforcement Academy graduated from the free program Wednesday night in St Joseph.
The Program started as a joint effort between the St Joseph Police Department and the Buchanan County Sheriffs office as a way to educate the community on law enforcement.
“We hope that people walk away with a better feeling of what we do and why we do it,” St Joseph Police Chief Chris Connally said. “As well as how the members of our community can work with us to be more effective in law enforcement.”
It stars off with a tour of the Law Enforcement Center downtown and ends the chance to feel the power of a law enforcement Taser. Two of this years participants volunteered for the Taser demonstration.
The classes included presentations from nearly all departments from St Joseph Police and the Buchanan County Sheriffs office.
Members from each unit came out to the class for the presentation. Class participants also got to witness training for the special response team. The S.R.T. is what most would think of as a SWAT team.
Participants also were allowed to shoot the same version of the St Joseph Police Departments officer issued handguns. Its a Sig Sauer .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The participants were allowed to take a few shots downrange inside the L.E.C. indoor range.
Investigators also were able to show off some of the tools they use during crime scene investigations and how they work a case. Participants were also allowed to tour the county courthouse and watch a K-9 demonstration.
Around 20 participants graduated from Wednesday night. Several participants expressed their thanks to the two departments for allowing them the chance for a inside view.
The next class will be in the spring of next year. Prior to the start of the class, organizers will publicize details and registration information about the class. Attendee’s next year may see a few tweaks to the program.
“We have those who are attendees evaluate each class and so we look very closely at those evaluations,” Connally said. “So we kind of tweak it a little bit each year.”