DRAPER — Multiple law enforcement agencies in Utah offer citizen’s academies, but what is it like to actually attend one?

For the past eight weeks, I spent three hours every Wednesday attending the Draper City Police Department’s Citizen Academy. The experience was incredibly insightful and I’d highly recommend anyone who is curious about policing near their home sign up for one.

The police academies are designed to give members of the public an inside look at what life is like as a police officer. Most of the agencies that do offer a citizen’s academy only do so once a year, so check with your local department to see if they have an academy and when it is open for applications.

Here is an inside look at what it was like to graduate from the Draper’s citizen academy:

Week 1: Introduction and traffic enforcement

If you thought the citizen’s police academy would get off to a slow start, you guessed wrong. The Draper academy is all about letting students learn through hands-on experiences. After a brief introduction to the department by Deputy Chief John Eining and Chief Bryan Roberts, we broke up into three groups to learn about traffic stops and DUI tests. We completed the night by going on a department tour.

My group headed out to the parking lot first to run through multiple traffic stop scenarios. We even got to take the driver’s seat in the police car. Sure, we only drove a few feet each time, but it made us feel cool and officers even showed us how to use the light bar.

For each scenario, a police officer would guide us through the steps of stopping a vehicle and approaching the driver. The drivers and passengers were played by the department’s Explorers — young adults who work with police — and other officers. Some of the people we approached cooperated more than others. There was one scenario where a driver had warrants, and another where the driver was just rude. The hardest part was thinking of what to say, as well as trying to keep an eye on everyone in the car when people weren’t taking us seriously. There was a lot to keep track of.

Next, we learned how to administer multiple field sobriety tests to determine whether a driver may be under the influence while out on the road. While the results of these tests aren’t conclusive, they could help guide an investigation. We were able to practice the horizontal gaze nystagmus (more easily recognized as the test that involves a driver following a finger with their eyes), walk-and-turn and one-leg stand. We tried it out ourselves with varying results.

To finish up the night, we toured the Draper City Police Department. The new facilities are located in the Draper City Hall building and include room to grow. Week 2: Arrest control and use of force

By the second week, we were in handcuffs. While learning about arrest control tactics, we partnered up with other students in the class to practice putting each other under arrest and placing them in handcuffs. We also learned how to properly search someone for weapons and other items before they are put under arrest. There were a lot of steps involved to make sure both the officer and citizen stays safe during the encounter.

In addition to the arrest control training, we learned about use of force. Officers explained the different options they have to respond to a situation, including less lethal weapons. Some students had questions about recent officer-involved shootings, which the instructors didn’t hesitate to answer openly.

We also got to try two of the department’s less lethal weapons on a target outside: a shotgun loaded with beanbag rounds and a foam launcher. To see what it is like to decide what force needs to be used, we paired up to respond to a call of an “emotionally disturbed person” —convincingly played by Sgt. Chad Carpenter— who is in charge of the Draper citizen’s academy this year.

Even though we were safe inside the police department, trying to find him and figure out whether or not he was a threat put us on edge. I may have accidentally pretend-shot him instead of using an imaginary Taser when he advanced on us. Apologies.

Week 3: First responder first aid and SWAT operations

Police officers are often the first on scene after someone has been injured, so knowing first aid can make a critical difference. We had the opportunity to learn from an expert how to use first aid in emergency situations that are specific to police. We also got to practice CPR on dummies.

The SWAT team led the rest of the class, teaching us about tactics for serving warrants and instructing us on how to clear a building. After learning about the importance of taking advantage of wide angles and staying close to your partner, we were sent upstairs in pairs to see if we could find bad guys hiding before they saw us. I may have been shot in this scenario.

As part of the SWAT training, we also had the opportunity to witness a flash-bang grenade deploy in close proximity to where we were standing. Often, the devices are thrown into homes during SWAT situations. The Draper City mayor had the honor of tossing the flash-bang grenade into the road. Even with it going off outside when we were expecting it, the flash-bang made an impression.

Week 4: Criminal investigations

Week four required some critical thinking. After learning about how criminal investigations are handled at the Draper City Police Department, we were sent to a mock crime scene to determine what happened.

Everyone in the group assumed different roles as we examined a break room where a body was found. There was even blood splatter on the walls made with real animal blood. We were tasked with identifying the most important pieces of evidence in the room and bagging it up. While we completed the activity fairly quickly, in reality, this portion of the investigation could take days during a big case.

Next, my group headed to the garage to learn about fingerprinting. We got our hands dirty as two of the department’s detectives taught us how to dust and lift fingerprints. After leaving our mark on the outside of police cars, we used a brush and fingerprint powder to find our own prints. We could take the prints we lifted home with us on a card as a souvenir.

To prepare for our next class at the firing range, officers taught us about gun safety before we finished the night. We were instructed on how to properly handle the department weapons.

Week 5: Firearms

We spent the entire fifth class at the the Gun Vault in South Jordan firing department weapons. It was the first time I had ever handled a gun, let alone fired one. All of the officers I worked with offered excellent one-on-one instruction. After firing a handgun several times to practice, we all used the weapons to complete a slightly simplified version of the department’s qualifications test. I scored 65 percent, which I would like to believe is not terrible for my first time, but multiple people in the class scored an impressive 95 percent or higher.

The department also brought out its bigger firearms, providing the opportunity for us to feel what it is like to fire powerful automatic rifles. Everyone had a great time learning about the different weapons and joking around with the officers as we watched other students take their turn.

Week 6: Emergency vehicle operations

We hopped back into the driver’s seat of multiple police cars during week six, this time for a more intense ride as we learned about emergency vehicle operations. Our class took over a portion of the Corner Canyon High School parking lot for the evening and officers set up cones to test our maneuvering skills. The course we tackled was similar to the one officers have to pass before their job with the department is secure. Navigating the turns was fun, but trickier than I expected — especially when we had to do it backwards!

In addition to driving the cars, we had the opportunity to learn how to make a high-risk traffic stop. While we were in teams, we acted out a stop where there were multiple occupants in a vehicle that needed to be taken into custody. The officers showed us how to position ourselves so the cars could protect us while we made contact and got into place to make the arrests.

We finished up the night with pursuits, which was really entertaining both to participate in and watch. Three cars were involved in each pursuit, with officer Mat Coe playing the roles of “bandit” and dispatcher in the lead vehicle. Pairs of students followed in two police cars. Trying to follow the bandit was a lot of fun, but staying on his tail while attempting to keep dispatch informed over the radio was a real challenge.

Week 6 bonus: Ride along

As part of the police academy experience, we were encouraged to sign up for a one-on-one ride along with an officer as they went through a regular shift. Some students saw more action than others, but everyone I talked to thought the experience was insightful.

I went on a ride along with officer Rulon Green from 8 p.m. to midnight on a Thursday at the beginning of his “graves” shift. We stayed pretty busy throughout the night, responding to the report of a stolen snowboard, transporting a teenager to juvenile detention who had pickup order, and investigating a possible domestic disturbance.

One of the main things that stood out from the ride along was how quickly things could change. We were planning to just stop at a local convenience store for some water when a call involving that exact location came in with the pickup order, so Green had to quickly shift gears.

It also showed the difficulty of investigating calls where only minimal information is provided. Without specific details of the location of the possible domestic disturbance, multiple officers scouted an apartment complex and talked to residents but weren’t able to find evidence that the call was legitimate.

Even if a law enforcement agency doesn’t offer a police academy, most still provide the opportunities for citizens to participate in ride alongs throughout the year. If you’re interested in going on a ride along, you can reach out to the agency that covers the area where you live for more information.

Week 7: A day in the life

Before graduation, we were put through a final test: going through multiple scenarios that represented a day in the life of a police officer. After partnering up and receiving our radios, Carpenter dispatched us to five different scenarios. At each scene there was an officer to observe what was happening and provide feedback when the scene ended, but we had to figure out what was going on and how to address it on our own.

The incidents we were called to represented a wide range of topics we learned about through the course. In one scenario, we arrived on scene to find an unresponsive man who was lying on the ground and appeared to be experiencing medical trouble. In another, there was a physical altercation between a woman who didn’t want to pay for her car to be fixed and a mechanic. We also had to clear a building after a burglary report (I died in that one), respond to an active shooting situation (my partner was shot in that one), and investigate a drunk driving accident. Deciding what to do in each situation was challenging, and we obviously didn’t always make the correct choices, but it was really interesting to see how far we had come from the first day.

Week 8: Graduation!

After eight weeks of learning and bonding, having it come to an end was a little bittersweet. We met in the city council room for a celebratory dinner. Both Eining and Roberts took time to address the students, talking about how the academy is a good experience for officers as well as students.

They said often the interactions between police officers and the public occur during negative situations, so the police academy allows the two groups to interact in a positive environment and hopefully create lasting connections. When asked if the experience was beneficial and worth their time, every student raised their hand to signify that it was.

The Draper’s Citizen Academy will return in 2017. Eining said that at some point, they hope the department will be flooded with applications for the academy.

Other law enforcement agencies that have held citizen’s academies include: the Salt Lake City Police Department, Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Unified Police Department, South Jordan Police Department, Brigham City Police Department, Park City Police Department, West Jordan Police Department, Provo Police Department, Cache County Sheriff’s Office, Washington City Police Department, Saratoga Springs Police Department, and Davis County Sheriff’s Office.

Related topics