Thursday, September 28, 2023

Here’s your chance to learn more about police operations, procedures

(WYDaily/ Courtesy of James City County Police Department)
(WYDaily/ Courtesy of James City County Police Department)

If you’ve ever wondered why police do what they do, here’s a chance to understand and learn more about law enforcement.

The James City County Police Department is accepting applications for the 50th Citizens Police Academy, which runs March 4-June 3.

The free Academy is offered in the spring and fall each year. Most classes are at the Law Enforcement Center, 4600 Opportunity Way, from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays, according to a news release from James City County Police.

There is one Saturday session, which is at the firing range. The academy meets for 14 weeks, is offered to adults (18 years of age or older) who work or live in the county.
Since 1994, the department’s Citizens Police Academy has been offering community members the opportunity to get an inside look at the operation and function of police procedures.

Officials said the classes “offer an overview of the department’s philosophy, each division and other areas of police work such as the operation of RADAR, traffic stops, DUI enforcement, search and seizures, handgun safety, shooting range, internal affairs, crime scene investigations, buildings searches and more.”

Students are given the opportunity to participate in several practical exercises such as a building search, citizen ride along program, firing weapons at a shooting range and a tour of the Emergency Operations Center, officials said.

The application can be accessed through the department’s website. Applications may be mailed to Master Police Officer Jamie Lilley, James City County Police Department, PO Box 8784, Williamsburg, VA 23187, dropped off at the Law Enforcement Center or emailed to MPO Lilley at jamie.lilley@jamescitycountyva.gov.

Lilley can also be reached at 757-603-6027 if you have any questions.

Officials said the Academy welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate.

“Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable an individual’s participation in the program, as long as they meet the essential eligibility requirements required of all participants,” officials wrote in a news release.

John Mangalonzo
John Mangalonzohttp://wydaily.com
John Mangalonzo (john@localdailymedia.com) is the managing editor of Local Voice Media’s Virginia papers – WYDaily (Williamsburg), Southside Daily (Virginia Beach) and HNNDaily (Hampton-Newport News). Before coming to Local Voice, John was the senior content editor of The Bellingham Herald, a McClatchy newspaper in Washington state. Previously, he served as city editor/content strategist for USA Today Network newsrooms in St. George and Cedar City, Utah. John started his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from Lyceum of The Philippines University in 1990. As a rookie reporter for a national newspaper in Manila that year, John was assigned to cover four of the most dangerous cities in Metro Manila. Later that year, John was transferred to cover the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He spent the latter part of 1990 to early 1992 embedded with troopers in the southern Philippines as they fought with communist rebels and Muslim extremists. His U.S. journalism career includes reporting and editing stints for newspapers and other media outlets in New York City, California, Texas, Iowa, Utah, Colorado and Washington state.

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