Special to The Weekly Vista
Seventeen students graduated this fall's Citizens Police Academy with the Bella Vista Police Department the evening of Nov. 8, after 10 weeks of learning about every aspect of law enforcement.
The academy tackled a wide array of topics, including dispatch, narcotics and K9 operations and the judicial system. There was also a field trip to the gun range and another to Benton County Jail. Additionally, students were given a chance to ride along with an officer on patrol.
Shelly Frederick, the department's secretary, said this was the second academy the department has put together, and she believes it was as effective as the first.
"The goal of the Citizens Police Academy," she said, "is to give non-law enforcement citizens an inside glimpse of the day-to-day operations of the Police Department. Our hope is that the program helps to foster a partnership between the Police Department and the community that it serves."
Frederick helped with the dispatch portion of the course. While she isn't currently a dispatcher, she said, her career with the department started there.
The course as a whole was taught by detective Mike Kugler. Kugler said that he's enjoyed teaching the class, and he's looking forward to doing it again next year.
The first class, held in the spring, was taught by Capt. Tim Cook. Kugler sat in on it to get a feel before he took the reins.
"Our hope," Kugler said, "is that we've built the best possible product."
He'll continue teaching it in the fall, he said, and Cook will be the instructor in the spring.
Kugler said the course allows the department to have a dialog with residents. Not only do the police get to convey their perspective, but he found he was able to understand residents' outlooks better.
Additionally, he said, it allows him as well as other officers to establish relationships with the students.
"You'll be able to see them out on the streets and say 'Hi'," he said.
One student, Rob Hester, said he thoroughly enjoyed the course.
"It exceeded all my expectations," he said. "I don't know what I expected, but it exceeded it."
The course, he said, came together when he went for a ride-along. Seeing what the police actually do out on the streets, he said, was a great experience.
"I was impressed with the officer I rode with," he said, "how proactive he was."
Another student, Fred Rugel, was a little bit less certain of what the course's highlight was.
"I don't know if it was the jail or the shooting range," he said. "I guess, really, the jail. The jail was tops."
The organization, he said, was incredible. Because inmates need to be kept separated and categorized, and space is finite, it's an incredible challenge that requires great space utilization. He was very impressed, he said, that the facility managed it.
Police Chief Ken Farmer said that he was pleased to see the level of interest from the community, as well as the participation.
It wasn't difficult to fill up the class, he said. A waiting list is already forming for next spring's class.
It's a great platform to establish rapport with the community, Farmer said.
"It helps us share what we do with our community," he said. "We can't do our job without the help of the community."
General News on 11/16/2016