Seymour residents who want to know more about how the Seymour Police Department works will get a chance this winter, thanks to a $1,850 grant from the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
The money will pay for the department’s first “Citizen Police Academy,” which will be a weeks-long course on all things Seymour Police Department.
The program aims to teach residents what police officers do everyday and leave them with a better appreciation for the process. Seymour Community Police Officer Sergio Desiderato said hopefully the academy will lead to more cooperation between the department and citizens.
“One concern I have is that people have a tendency not to call the police when something is happening,” Desiderato said. “When it comes to protecting your own community, you want to get more involved.”
Desiderato said he is still working on the programs for the academy, but said it may include courses on administering CPR and understanding a crime scene. The department’s emergency services unit will also likely give a demonstration of how they respond to a serious incident.
In developing the program, Seymour looked toward other departments that already run a Citizen Police Academy. Bridgeport, for example, has held several courses.
“It gives the average citizen a very good idea of what it takes to operate a police department,” said Nick Ortiz, the crime prevention officer for the Bridgeport Police Department. “A lot of times they don’t know the actual things that go on on a daily basis, what we have to deal with. It gives them a better understanding how critical it is to work with the police department.”
Ortiz said when the Bridgeport Police Department offers the program, it is popular. About 40 people signed up for each of the sessions, he said.
Desiderato said he hopes to have about 20 people in the first course in Seymour. The department will conduct background checks on participants to make sure they aren’t career criminals looking to understand how to work the system better.
Desiderato expects the academy to be held in January.
