When Kareem Syed signed up to participate in the community policing program with the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, he wanted to learn more about the people behind the uniforms.
Syed, who helped form the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition and participates in the Interfaith council, said the program humanized the department and taught him that understanding each other is the best way to grow and promote positive change.
“One of the things that we need to recognize, especially for those who feel disenfranchised, is we need to be engaged,” Syed said. “I know it’s hard, because it’s like you’re going to have to take that extra step. In order to make change happen, we’re going to have to take that step.”
The first-ever class of the Community Policing Academy graduated in a ceremony Thursday evening in the Los Gatos Town Council Chambers. The 10-week program aimed to teach residents about law enforcement and offer an inside look at the department.
Police Chief Jamie Field said the department will host its second community policing program next year.
“I hope that (the graduates) can now be ambassadors for the police department because they have had that behind-the-scenes, ‘we’ve pulled back the curtain’ experience,” Field said. “What better way to recruit than from someone who’s already been through it?”
Participants in the program learned about everything from patrol operations and laws of arrest to investigations and defense tactics. The hands-on program invited participants to go through scenario-based training wearing tactical gear.
Los Gatos resident and program graduate Brad Gordon said he applied because his daughter Carrie is an officer in the San Jose Police Department. He said he learned a lot about how police officers switch their mindset and handle intense situations.
Debbie Sacks said her class was able to do a lot of hands-on activities and training, like firing a practice taser and trying out de-escalation techniques using Occulus virtual reality equipment.
“I have to say I’m really really impressed with the department and their commitment and their training, so it’s been a wonderful class,” Sacks said.
Officers, detectives, dispatchers and record keepers taught participants about what a day in the life of their jobs looks like.
“Some of the staff that presented to you had never done public speaking before, had never put together a presentation or spoken about what their goal in the police department is,” Field told the graduates. “So it gave them an opportunity to have some pride in that position.”
The academy is one of a handful of initiatives from the department to boost community policing and bolster positive engagement between police officers and the community. The department started hosting Coffee with a Cop and Walk with a Cop, and purchased two therapy dogs.
This initiative comes at a time when the department is facing a shortage of police officers and dispatchers. The department lost about 25% of its officers over the last year and a half, along with half of its full-time police dispatchers, Field said.
The Campbell Police Department has a similar Civilian Police Academy that includes ride-alongs with officers, and the Fremont Police Department offers a Community Police Academy that includes information on SWAT and crime scene investigations.
Source: www.mercurynews.com