Tremain Grandy wanted to prepare for his future in law enforcement.
Gladys Aldred signed up to ponder her past.
The two are among about 25 members of the second Citizens Police Academy hosted by the Seymour Police Department.
The academy teaches civilians about police work in an effort to build relationships with the community.
“Sometimes, just because you want to do something, maybe it’s not the right choice for you,” Grandy, a Derby resident, said of his hope to one day be a police officer. “I just wanted to know the ins and outs, to confirm my choice.”
Aldred, who is attending the class with her husband Arthur, said she joined to learn more about the department where her father, William King Sr., spent his lifetime career.
Turns out Aldred wasn’t alone in her thinking.
Her sister, Mary King, also signed up for the class for the same reason. She was surprised to see Aldred sitting in classroom Wednesday at the first session of the 12-week class.
“Seymour Police Department has literally been in my life since the day I was born,” King said.
Her brother, Sgt. William King Jr., is currently in the department.
“I want to show my brother I appreciate what he does,” King said.
The Academy
Seymour Police Department started the citizens academy last year. The course tries to reach out to community members to help them understand what police officers do.
Another goal of the program is to help citizens feel empowered to help the police department fight crime — by recognizing suspicious activity and calling police if concerned.
“We’re not telling them to go out and act as an officer,” said Lt. Paul Satkowski. “We’re giving them the knowledge about how to tell if something’s not right.”
Lessons include talk about laws, police officer training, domestic violence response and the court system. Judge Burton Kaplan, a superior court judge in Derby, is scheduled to talk with the class about courts.
Participants will see demonstrations with the department’s K‑9 unit, and about the department’s weapons.
That’s the one Lauren Vassallo said she is looking forward to.
Vassallo, a 23-year-old Oxford resident, said her sisters got to shoot guns when they attended a citizens academy in Milford.
In addition to exploring a possible career in police work, Vassallo said “I wanted to shoot a gun too.”
Others in the class are there to find out if law enforcement is the career for them.
Nick Mydlo, a junior at Hopkins School in New Haven, said he’s looking at colleges and wanted to know if criminal justice was a career path he should pursue.
“This is the time to make that decision,” Mydlo said. “Do I want to go into the medical field, or law enforcement?”
