Academy connects community, police

The 2016 Monroe Police Department Citizens Academy took place over the course of 11 weeks, offering attendees a crash course in everything the police department does. As the series concluded last week, academy attendees all shared one thing in common: nobody wanted it to end.

In addition to instruction about patrol procedures, child abuse, domestic violence, the evolution of a patrol call, narcotics and tracking K9, traffic enforcement, use of force, narcotics, homicide investigations, officer safety, Monroe crime scenes, evidence collection and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), the academy provided a series of interactive opportunities that gave students a glimpse at what it might be like to work in law enforcement. The series was facilitated by Sgt. Steve Clopp and Community Service Officer Gaby Escalante, and included widespread participation from the department. 

Ongoing since 1993, the academy is meant to build bridges between the police department and the community. This year’s academy included 23 students, ranging in age from 17 to 70. Attendees were incredibly engaged this year, Clopp said, which enhanced the experience for both the presenters and students. 

“I think this year was probably the best attendance I’ve ever seen,” Clopp said. “Every week, pretty much everybody was there. It was so cool.”

Academy attendees were a diverse representation of the community, Clopp said, including officers’ wives, an officer’s brother, local business owners and other residents. The classes took place 6:30-9:30 p.m. every Wednesday, plus three Saturday outings.  

Monroe Mayor Geoffrey Thomas said he appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of the department.

“Monroe’s Citizens Police Academy is the closest you’ll come to walking in an officer’s shoes,” Thomas said. “Through class time and real exercises, the academy introduced us to the dangers our officers face, from checking in on someone, to making a traffic stop, to chasing down suspects in a crime.”

Julie Niemela, 17, was the youngest attendee. She said she was impressed by how invested the officers were in providing the instruction.

“It was truly amazing to see how excited they were and how eager they were to teach, answer our million questions and participate,” Niemela said. “Each and every class was presented with such passion. As citizens, we rarely get the opportunity to interact with the officers in such a pleasant manner.

“I am so thankful to have been a part of such a great class. This has been, by far, a highlight of my life.”

Academy attendees were invited to engage in simulations, a resource at the Edmonds Police Department that allows officers to test their skills by engaging in complex scenarios that could occur in real life. The scenarios unfold on a life-size video feed, which responds as the officer interacts with it. The scene might depict a crime in progress, changing and evolving depending on what the officer says and does. The simulator uses the same type of weapon commonly carried by law enforcement, which is outfitted with a laser, so the system can gauge each shot’s accuracy.

The simulator was an eye-opening lesson about when it’s acceptable to use force. Each scene shifts dynamically in mere seconds, requiring high-stress decision-making by the officer. Officer Jason Southard and Detective Spencer Robinson spent the day in Edmonds with academy attendees, helping them debrief after each scenario played out.

“The day at the Edmonds PD was fantastic,” said Julie’s sister, Valerie Niemela, 20. “We experienced a bit of how the officers train, and got the adrenaline pumping. After our session, Officer Southard took time to answer every question we had, from explaining the scenarios to the live training they do.”

Mock traffic stops were another interactive opportunity that demonstrated how quickly a negative situation can unfold during what might seem like a routine traffic stop. From pulling over uncooperative drivers to dealing with an interfering passerby, the live scenarios used actors from the department and past academies to portray different situations that can occur.

Attendees might be asked to perform a “traffic stop” on a vehicle with expired tabs, during which a random bystander could stumble by to ask for directions. Within seconds, an officer distracted by their response to the interfering pedestrian could end up in a life-threatening situation. The exercises demonstrate the tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving circumstances officers can face.

“The class time and exercises demonstrated how quickly something routine in an officer’s day can suddenly become life-threatening,” Thomas said. “It reminded class participants of the importance of following an officer’s directions, but also it taught the class that we need to be transparent and communicate what we are doing when officers have stopped us.”

Mock traffic stop exercises can go a long way toward repairing fractured relationships, particularly if a resident has had what they perceive to be a negative experience when stopped.

“Then they come and do mock traffic stop night, and they see what can happen on traffic stops, and they understand better the safety risks that the officers face,” Clopp said. “That depth of understanding that they get from not only attending class, but doing the hands-on part of class, really gives them a lot of insight into what we face on a daily basis.”

Other interactive opportunities included practice driving a patrol car at Evergreen Speedway, shooting at the gun range and SWAT night, where students were able to act out what a SWAT incident would be like, including the specific language used by SWAT team members. Attendees were given the chance to respond to an incident by performing a dynamic entry, firing at cardboard “bad guys” using guns outfitted with nonlethal marking cartridges. 

Additionally, each attendee was given the chance to go on a five-hour ride-along with an officer, experiencing everything from traffic stops to trips to the Snohomish County Jail after an arrest.

Reis Newburn enjoyed interacting with department personnel, especially getting to know them personally rather than just professionally.

“They are just like you and me,” Newburn said. “Knowing they can be put under tremendous pressure, at times on a daily basis, helped me to understand and correct some of the preconceived notions I had about policing and police officers. It humanized the men and women of the police department.

“If nothing else was taken from this experience I will remember the laughs, smiles and personal anecdotes of the presenters. They are really nice folks doing a hard job.”

Clopp said the academy is just as important for the officers as it is for the attendees.

“We are blessed with an amazing citizenry to serve and protect, but we do not always have the time to get to know a lot of them the way we would like to,” Clopp said. “The academy gives all of us a chance to build those relationships and to better understand the issues that are most important to those we serve. I think we learn as much from our attendees as they learn from us. It is truly mutually beneficial.”

Graduation took place on Tuesday, Nov. 22, after a presentation on the judicial process by Monroe Municipal Court Judge Mara Rozzano. Monroe Police Chief Tim Quenzer and Deputy Chief Ken Ginnard gave each attendee a certificate of completion. 

To find out about the 2017 Citizens Academy, or to refer somebody as a potential attendee, contact the Monroe Police Department. Attendees are subject to a background check. For more information about the academy, visit www.monroewa.gov/index.aspx?NID=283.