Community Corner

Citizens' Police Academy Course Graduates 12

Participants took a 9-week Montgomery Township course on police work

wrapped up on Wednesday night with a graduation ceremony at the .

Patrolman Rob Johnson thanked the participants and the rest of his police colleagues for making the program successful.

"This is the seventh one we've done," Johnson said. "They [the participants] learn a little bit of everything."

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The class members had the opportunity to learn about drug enforcement, financial crimes, working with K9 officers, processing crime scenes and many other facets of police work.

"People do sometimes come in with preconceived ideas about police work, and then they see how much time it really takes to investigate a crime," Johnson said.

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Class member Jorge Arsuaga said he applied for the program because as a resident he wanted to learn more about the township.

"I really saw how the police are helping the community," Arsuaga said.

Stacy Sweinhart, who runs the Domestic Abuse Response Team at Laurel House, a local shelter for domestic violence victims, said she joined the class hoping to understand police work better. Sweinhart wanted to get to know the officers she works with on a regular basis.

"I saw what they really go through every day," Sweinhart said.

District Judge Andrea Duffy said she enjoyed participating in the program.

"They came in and went through a mock hearing, so they saw what my end of it is like at a judicial level," Duffy said.

Participant Jeffrey Vasey praised the officers teaching the class, saying "It's obvious they really care about their work."

Class member Glen Tucker, whose wife Sharon (also a course graduate) works for Montgomery Township, said the program "made me wish I'd gone into something like this [law enforcement]."

Johnson told the graduates that they could sign up for the township's police ride-along program and could help with future events, such as the Bicycle Rodeo at the end of May.

"This really helps us get out into the community," Johnson said. 


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