Ordinary folks fascinated with police work are learning about law enforcement from the pros. Henderson's Citizens Police Academy is giving the public an inside look at what their job is like.

It's a condensed version of the actual police academy. Students learn about criminal justice and the police department gains another connection with the community. The class fills up fast and has a strict attendance requirement. The topics are very real.

“There are some photos. They might be a little bit on the gruesome side,” said student Jessica Royal.

The academy is a 13-week course on any and everything about police work. A presentation is on crime scene investigations, from the gadgets to the techniques, is what CSI is like in real life — behind the yellow tape.

“A lot more respect for law enforcement. They have the toughest job in the city, without a doubt,” said student Dominic Infante.

Infante has a newfound appreciation for police officers — from their work on the streets to the piles of evidence they have to process to build their cases.

The academy also visits the communications center. It's here where it all starts, with one call after the other.

“It's just unbelievable what they have to do. I don't know how they do it. But it was very, very interesting,” said student Vicki Walker.

The class learns how dangerous an officer's job can be, and what tactics cops have to use and when. It's not just a unique insight into wearing the badge, but the class is really about ever-lasting relationships and building bridges between the students and the Henderson Police Department.

“A policeman's job never ends. He's always on duty, 24-7,” said Infante.

The next class is graduation. After that, most of these students will start riding along with officers — seeing a little action on the streets.

The next citizens' academy will start on August 26, 2008 and have its graduation on November 25, 2008. The classes are held on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The department will start accepting applications for the Fall Citizens' Academy on July 1, 2008.

For more information regarding the next class, please call (702) 267-4850. Applications can be picked up at the Main Station at 223 Lead Street, the Green Valley Substation at 300 S. Green Valley Parkway or at the Community Relations Bureau in the Galleria at Sunset Mall.

Email your comments to Reporter Aaron Drawhorn

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 12:42 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.