Turlock police taking applications for Citizens Academy

The Police Department is accepting applications for its 11-week 2015 Citizens Academy, set to begin Sept. 10. The course, which includes more than 30 presentations during three-hour sessions on Thursday evenings, promises an in-depth look at Turlock public safety services.

Though it’s been held as far back as the early 1990s, the academy still is an eye-opener for many of the residents who complete it, said Turlock Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Michelle Backeroff.

“It gives citizens a better understanding of how the Police Department operates. They learn about how it functions and how they can work with us. For a lot of citizens, that lack of understanding of how we operate feeds into misconceptions,” said Backeroff, who has hosted the academy since 2011.

“For example, one of the questions I ask a lot of citizens is: How many officers do you think are working patrol at any given time? I get answers of anywhere from 20 to 30 or 40, and obviously that’s not the case.”

The correct answer, Backeroff said, is there are five to seven patrol officers working most times. “One of the biggest complaints we get is, ‘I called in about a suspicious person 20 minutes ago, and there’s been no response yet.’ If I was a citizen and thought there were 40 officers on patrol in Turlock, I’d be upset, too. By talking about some of those misconceptions, as well as the capability and limitations of the department, we can increase the level of community trust, respect and awareness.”

Retired Amtrak locomotive engineer Paul Jevert went through the Citizens Academy in 2011, then took it again last year. He said the experience, as well as a few citizen ride-alongs with officers, has increased his understanding of, and respect for, law enforcement.

“What struck me – and I’m 68 years old – is that a lot of the calls they get on the radio and on the screens (in patrol cars), as far as I’m concerned, it’s a bunch of trivial nonsense calls that are family issues,” Jevert said. “Thirty or 40 yeas ago, they wouldn’t have such stupid calls. Unfortunately, with the way society has floated, people get into high school-level arguments with their brother or mother or father and they call police. (Police officers) are out there to fight crime, real stuff, and this wastes their time.

“Unfortunately, then, the poor police officer has to be ambassador, peacemaker and problem solver with childish people who … think nothing of resorting to law enforcement.”

Jevert said he also found the academy’s presentation on gang activity particularly enlightening. “Some of the ideas of the gang culture and how it’s a mental and emotional control gangs have on youth was interesting to hear about from one fella who was a gang tactical officer who described some of his dealings with these people,” he said.

The academy includes a lot of presentations and discussions, Backeroff said, but participants also will tour the public safety facility, see demonstrations and go on ride-alongs with officers.

“There will be hands-on (elements),” she said. “For example, the Fire Department is part of the academy, so they will do some training on fire extinguishers – when to use them, how to use them and when not to use them. Our SWAT team will come in and show off their gear and talk about what they do.”

The Citizens Academy draws a broad range of applicants who bring different backgrounds and experiences to the group. Open to anyone 18 or older, it’s drawn teachers, college students who are studying law enforcement and other young people exploring it as a possible career. “It’s a good way to get that experience,” Backeroff said.

Public interest in the academy seems to ebb and flow. When she first hosted it in 2011, Backeroff said, there were just six participants. Since then, applications have grown and she expects this year to cap enrollment at 20 people.

The department has aimed to offer the academy twice a year, but the past couple of years, it’s been annual. “We recently started looking into trying to host a Spanish-language Citizens Academy,” Backeroff said. “If can get get that going, then we’ll have the academy twice a year, once in Spanish, once in English.”

One way the city measures the success of the Citizens Academy, and similarly of the Neighborhood Watch program, Backeroff said, is the increased number of calls police get about suspicious activity. “People feel more empowered in coming forth with information,” she said.

The deadline to apply for the Citizens Academy is Sept. 1. To learn more, contact Backeroff at 209-656-3153 or mbackeroff@turlock.ca.us or visit http://bit.ly/1JrKbMb.

This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Turlock police taking applications for Citizens Academy."