Chief Hiller came on "Talk of the Town" this morning to talk about the Citizen's Police Academy and "Coffee with a Cop."  The "Coffee with a Cop" will be taking place on Wednesday, October 16th, both in the morning and afternoon. You can swing by the Starbucks location inside Target between the hours of 8 am and 10 am, or 5 pm and 7 pm and visit with a cop. You can even ask about the Citizen's Police Academy, which is very eye-opening and enjoyable.

Last Fall, so 2018, we had Capt. Jeff Mundale and Fred Ventura on a segment of "Talk of the Town" to inform everyone about the Citizen's Police Academy, which was rapidly approaching. The program was first offered in 2013 in Owatonna, and they always hope to have at least 10 people sign up in order to have the classes.

I signed up for the Academy, as I wanted to know more about what our law enforcement officers really see and how they are trained to deal with the many different calls they get in a shift. You learn more than just what the officers do. They have a Judge come in and talk about what a day in their life is like, there's information and a tour of the 911 Center, as well as hearing from a local attorney.

According to the brochure for the Citizen's Police Academy: "It’s our goal to increase understanding of police work and to develop effective police/community partnerships." What a great goal to have, and for those who take the class, it is met.

The Owatonna Police Department is offering the Academy this year, starting October 28th. The classes run for 2 hours on Monday evenings through December. Applications will be accepted through October 25th, and they have them available online. This is not a class to become a police officer, it's an informational class to learn more about what our police officers do, the training they need, and more. I even go to do a ride-along with Officer Val Satre. That was an eye-opener. If you're still on the fence about getting signed up, just do it. You won't regret it.

 

My chauffeur for the day, Officer Val Satre. Melissa Hall/Townsquare Media
My chauffeur for the day, Officer Val Satre. Melissa Hall/Townsquare Media
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