The Culver City Police Dept.’s summer Citizens Police Academy course concluded last Tuesday evening with the obligatory class photo-ops followed by the handing out of Completion Certificates to the 24 enrollees.
A veritable cornucopia of students, included amongst them Culver City Vice Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells and City Councilman Jim B. Clarke, all brought some levity and humor to the classes to offset the serious nature of the curriculum at hand.
Organized by Lt. Jason Sims, who also served as the instructor for the first two weeks of the enlightening eight-week course, the remaining classes were taught by authorities in the respective areas from within the Police Dept.. Topics covered were wide ranging.
Amongst them were Laws of Arrest, Recruitment, Patrol Functions, including the Canine Units, Motor Enforcement, Officer Safety, Internal Investigations, Forensics, Crime Scene Investigations and Animal Control.
Police Chief Don Pedersen was most welcoming and grateful for the participation, both at the outset of the course and throughout, culminating with the Graduation Ceremony where enrollees were treated to a wonderfully tasty reception catered by the local eatery Gaby’s Mediterranean.
Whilst the ultimate intent behind the Citizens Police Academy is twofold, to be ambassadors to the public and to help clerically, it remains to be seen how successful the course was in achieving its aims..
Only time will tell whether the graduates have been persuaded to give freely, that most valuable commodity, their precious time.
With the effusive thanks of Chief Pedersen, Capt. Ron Iizuka and Lt. Sims, they just might be a shoo-in.
Mr. Fernandez asked that his email not be listed.
